


Forelsket

by wingedLunari



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Cute, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fanfiction, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, Light Angst, Meet-Cute, My First Fanfic, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sports, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27027343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedLunari/pseuds/wingedLunari
Summary: Kuroo and Yuzuki weren't friends nor acquaintances.They only 'know' each other because they have seen each other inside the school. But, deep inside they were interested in one another. Yuzuki doesn't want to do anything with Kuroo, despite considering him as her type. Kuroo, on the other hand, wants to make the first move in knowing Yuzuki after seeing her again and after he found out how close his friend was with her.Not wanting to use any people to get closer to Yuzuki, he eventually gives up... until he finds a note that will act as a catalyst for their relationship.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 13





	1. Catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> > Forelsket (Norwegian): The euphoria you experience when you’re first falling in love. [click here! for definition](https://bit.ly/2HaLswB)  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How can one random note from a book make a boy more interested in a girl?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Contains / will contain some events in canon that will be slightly altered to fit the whole story.  
> > Chapters are and will be long; you have been warned!  
> > Female lead is an OC, as well as the second female lead.  
> > Story starts when they are in second year and will eventually go to their third year.  
> > I based the school calendar on Japan's. However, I will be using the high school schedule here in Canada (classes start at 8:30am and end at 2:55pm)  
> > I also switched the names from Surname, First name (which they use in Japan) to First name, Surname.  
> > Links of songs/playlists are posted at some story/chapter breaks as an OST for the story. Feel free to listen for ~maximum experience~  
> > Enjoy and thank you for reading! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ (any comments would be much appreciated, just don't be toxic!)

[BGM playlist - Music by Frad](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3hW2dsaMlIAf9hsDfbjnwx?si=zzFy2KOMSBWoV6cspmRVNw)

Yuzuki Sakamori looked out the window before entering her classroom. It was in the middle of the day, and there are less than 2 hours left before school ends. She was honestly contemplating what to eat for dinner tonight, but she looked so serious looking out the window that her classmates thought she was upset about something. She eventually snapped back to reality and went straight to her seat inside the classroom, which was in the middle of the room. She took out her phone from the space under the desk. Thinking of the ingredients for kimchi spaghetti, she typed them down on her phone. Before she could save the list, a message from Chie popped up. Chie and Yuzuki have been friends for nearly nine years. They met at an Art summer workshop when they were both 8. They became fast friends because of their similar love of anime and manga, but it was care and love for one another that brought them closer and made their friendship last. 

“Hey! How’s your class so far? I’m dying over here! Math class just finished, and we have History next.” Chie said in her message.

Yuzuki thought of a reply. To be honest, her day has been pretty taxing so far. “Could be better, honestly. We just returned from the Home Economics lab, and now it's a self-study period,” she replied. “I can’t wait to go home, though. I am going to the grocery store later after school to buy ingredients for kimchi spaghetti. Do you want to come with me?”

It took a while before Chie could reply, and when she did, it said: I don’t think I can today. I just received a text from our cheer captain. We have this meeting. If my meeting ends early, I can meet up with you; otherwise, it will be a raincheck. Grab some snacks for me, will you?

“Will do!” Yuzuki replied, already thinking of the snacks she’s going to be buying tonight. 

Everyone in Class 2-4 calls Yuzuki the Snacking Queen, for whenever they have a self-study period or breaks, she would always have either chips or sweets on hand. Nekoma High School allows its students to snack during classes. The teachers allow it because they think students should not just sit and listen to the class discussions. They also believed that allowing students to eat during class makes them concentrate better and keep their hunger at bay. Another perk specific to Nekoma High is that students can listen to music during self-directed learning (like writing, making presentations, or reading) even while the teacher is present. However, this privilege will be withheld by the teachers when students are not truthful with their activities or wasting time instead of working. The majority of the students want to keep their privileges, so they follow the rules.

“You doing alright, Yuzu?” Kai asked as he pulled out his chair. He smiled at her with that usual friendly smile of his, but when Yuzuki just blankly stared at him, he cocked his head to the side in visible confusion. Even after being classmates and friends since their first year of high school, Kai hasn’t fully understood Yuzuki. Kai thought of Yuzuki as fun, cool, and entertaining to be with, but there are times when her expressions are hard to figure out.

“Oh yeah,” she replied absently. “I’m just exhausted, I guess.” She did feel exhausted despite her unsure response. It is just Tuesday, but she wished it was already Friday so she could sleep in, play games, or just laze around, among other things. As exhausted as she is, even though it’s two days into the school week, Yuzuki enjoys school; she likes studying and learning, which is why Yuzuki opted to take college prep classes since she started high school. Students of Nekoma High can choose to be placed in college-prep classes, especially if they are looking to further their higher education studies. Supplementary coursework needs to be submitted in these classes, and the course outline is more detailed and rigorous. The other courses that are not in college-prep don’t necessarily mean that the students are not aiming to enter college or university; it is just their curriculum is not as challenging. "It's only Tuesday, but my body is telling me that it’s the weekend already.”

Kai smiled and sighed inwardly, feeling relieved. "I feel that. I actually feel like this week is going to be extra stressful." Kai meant what he said, for he was feeling exhausted as well. "I have practice this afternoon too."

Kai is one of the three volleyball club members in their year. The other two are in class 2-5, another college-prep class, which also happens to be where Chie is. Out of all the 15 volleyball club members of Nekoma High, Yuzuki only knows the second-year students, and they are Nobuyuki Kai, Morisuke Yaku, and Tetsurou Kuroo.

Yuzuki tried to think of any instances wherein she had interacted with the other volleyball players. However, she can only recall seeing them with Kai during lunch or after school when they are about to head to their club practice or loitering along the hallways. Yuzuki only knows a few things about the other second-year members, and most of them are from hearsays. Yuzuki knows that Morisuke Yaku is an excellent player with impeccable reflexes. He can almost always receive the ball steadily either with a dig, underhand or overhand receive. Yuzuki has also heard Yaku get angry at his peers whenever they tease his short stature. Sometimes she would see him kick their bottoms or punch their arms when he’s annoyed. Yuzuki thought Yaku was cute because his big personality is contained in such a small body. 

On the other hand, Tetsurou Kuroo is the tallest among all the second years and possibly out of all the club members. Yuzuki often sees Kuroo either slyly smiling as he teases his peers or with female students surrounding him. At first, Yuzuki thought he wasn't handsome; instead, she thought he was very annoying. But after taking a few quick looks at him, she realized how attractive he was; she even considered him as her type. It was not something she would act on, though, for they are too different to get along, possibly. She doesn't know much about how he is on the court, though, because all she ever hears from people is that he is _‘so amazing you’ll fall for him.’_

For Yuzuki, knowing only one person from the volleyball team is enough. She thought that there wouldn’t be any use to knowing any more of the players since she is not in any clubs that interact with them, such as the cheer club, which Chie is a member of because she is a flyer. Yuzuki is not a sporty type of girl anyway. She always describes herself as a dancing, artsy, video gaming type and would always emphasize her athleticism point of zero. “I don’t think I can ever do a sports club like you, Nobu. Just thinking about it makes me want to skip and go straight home.” Yuzuki said pessimistically.

“To be fair,” Kai started, standing up from his seat and pushing his desk close to Yuzuki’s. “We have this first year who often skips but not for the reason of having bad athleticism. Well,” he trailed off, opening the book that he planned on reading through as soon as he sat back down. “If you compare him with the other members, you might ask yourself why this person is even in a sports club if they hate moving or doing strenuous activities. He wanted to quit before, but Kuroo persuaded him to stay. He’s a smart player, so we didn’t want to let him go either.”

“It’s great you were able to make him stay. I mean, he did stay, right?” Yuzuki asked apprehensively.

Kai looked up from his book. “Yeah. He’s Kuroo’s best friend, so he was able to talk him out of it well.”

“Ohh, I see. That’s good then.” Yuzuki replied with a smile.

Neither of them decided to continue the conversation after that; instead, they turned their attention back to their books. Kai was studying English while Yuzuki chose to do some light reading in History. The two concentrated on their self-directed learning and would only talk to each other if they have any questions about the material. The self-study period lasts for an hour and 30 minutes, and even though the students were all preoccupied with studying, time didn’t seem like it was going faster. The students were starting to get restless in their seats, which made Yuzuki realize that it was time for a short break for everyone. Without getting up from her chair, Yuzuki reached inside the backpack hanging behind her chair. She was trying to feel the contents of her bag, hoping she can pull out a large, unopened bar of chocolate wafers to share with her classmates.

Yuzuki slid the snack discreetly over to Kai’s desk without saying anything. Kai chuckled and began opening the wrapper. Sharing snacks wasn’t unusual for both of them; instead, it’s more of their routine whenever they do self-study. Yuzuki would provide the snacks, he would open it, take his share, and Yuzuki would offer the rest to their peers. Kai had always adored Yuzuki for her generosity. 

Kai then reminisced the first time Yuzuki offered him a snack. It was some time during the first or second week of classes when it happened. Kai was already seat mates with Yuzuki, but they never had a conversation with one another partly because he was slightly awkward around her. He thought that Yuzuki was snobbish because for multiple times that he tried to talk to her, she just looked at him and ignored him. He didn’t take it personally, for he thought that maybe Yuzuki was just shy, but that opinion changed when she tapped his shoulder and offered him a chocolate bar. “Here,” Yuzuki said back then, handing him the sweet.

Kai sat up straight. He was surprised to hear Yuzuki call his attention just to give him a snack. “Are you giving it to me?” Kai asked cautiously, double-checking if Yuzuki’s attention was genuinely focused on him. 

Yuzuki nodded, smiled when Kai took the chocolate from her, and then took a deep breath. “Earlier, when we were running laps during gym class, I saw you, and it made me exhausted. Like…” she trailed off as she took another chocolate bar from her backpack. “How can you run as if you’re not about to die?”

“I guess it’s because I like running?” Kai replied unsurely. He then chuckled when Yuzuki looked at him, flabbergasted.

“I don’t understand how some people can like running,” Yuzuki took a bite of her chocolate then looked at Kai, urging him to eat as well. “I think people who do that as a hobby are either very athletic or masochists.”

Kai bowed his head as a sign of thanks for Yuzuki’s generosity. But, he was most thankful that the ice finally broke between them. The two began to talk more after that day. Kai found out that Yuzuki is just shy around people she doesn’t know and takes a lot of time getting used to them. Yuzuki told him that she appreciated his effort in getting to know her, but she also apologized that she came across as distant and snobbish. Kai also didn’t expect Yuzuki to be witty and funny. She would say the most outrageous things and have the most amusing expressions while telling them.

As the school year went on, Kai and Yuzuki became closer to the point where they began to call each other by their first names, although, for Kai, it was mostly because he started crushing on Yuzuki. Kai _**accidentally**_ called Yuzuki, _Yuzu_ while they were chatting during the self-study period. Yuzuki was embarrassed when she heard Kai call her Yuzu, but instead of feeling awkward about it, she decided not to comment on it. Yuzuki thought that maybe Kai just considered the two of them really good friends (which they really were) hence why he called her with a nickname. That is why Yuzuki decided to do the same and called Kai, _Nobu_. Kai almost couldn’t contain his joy when Yuzuki called him with a nickname, but at the same time, he didn’t want to look desperate for attention. Yuzuki didn’t seem fazed by it, so why should he. Over time, Kai’s feelings for Yuzuki deepened to the point that he wanted to tell his feelings. However, when he found out that Yuzuki was dumped by her boyfriend, he decided not to take advantage of her vulnerability by confessing. In the end, Kai never got to tell Yuzuki about how he felt about her. He thought they were better off as friends, and he could protect her so much more if their relationship stays the way it is.

### 

It was as if a huge boulder was lifted from the shoulders of every student in Class 2-4 when the clock struck 2:55 pm, and their teacher dismissed them for the day. The students expressed their excitement about the day ending by stretching their bodies and exclaiming, “Finally!” when the teacher left the classroom. Yuzuki started packing away her things, beginning with some notebooks and books that she might want to study after eating dinner. Yuzuki was not in a hurry to leave, but at the same time, she was. Yuzuki also imagined how she would be cooking the kimchi spaghetti this evening and hoping to make enough to bring some for Chie tomorrow. “I should put in a lot of cheese…” Yuzuki thought to herself as she stood up from her seat and began walking towards the door. 

The hallway was packed with students trying to get out of their respective classrooms. Everyone was talking all at once, and this made Yuzuki’s head slightly spin. She heavily dislikes people talking all at once, but there’s nothing much she can do in this situation except to try ignoring it. “This is such a huge blur,” Yuzuki observed exasperatedly as she waited right outside her classroom’s door, leaning on the wall beside it. Once the number of students dwindled, she sighed in relief and started heading over to Class 2-5’s classroom, which was at the end of the hallway. From a distance, Yuzuki heard a male voice calling out to her. At first, she thought she just heard things, or maybe the loud noises of everyone else earlier were still ringing in her ears. But, when she felt a tap on her shoulder, she realized that she was still sane. “Oh, Nobu!”

Kai tried his best not to look like he just ran after her, when in fact, he did. Kai didn’t actually know why he had to run after her, but when he saw her leave the room, he felt like he just had to talk to her one last time. “Where are you heading to?” he asked coolly and politely. 

Yuzuki pointed a finger to Class 2-5’s classroom. “I wanted to see Chie before I leave. What about you, Nobu?” Yuzuki started walking, and so did he.

“I’m going to fetch my club members, just in case they skip,” he replied with a smile, although on the inside, he cringed at himself because Kuroo and Yaku were never the types to skip practice. He wished Yuzuki overlooked his lie. 

Yuzuki nodded and continued walking. The classroom door was open, so she invited herself in, not caring if some students were still inside. “Chie!” she called out cheerfully with a wave of her hand.

Chie was still putting away her things when Yuzuki called her, and when she saw her best friend, Chie couldn’t help but stop with what she was doing and go over to where Yuzuki was. “Oh my god! Seeing you right now is like a breath of fresh air.” Chie hugged Yuzuki and then complained about how she didn’t want to attend the meeting. After ranting for a while, Chie stopped when she saw Kai awkwardly smiling at her. “Oh, hi Kai-kun,”

“Hey, Fukuhara. Did you have a good day?”

Chie and Kai initially met because of Yuzuki. Yuzuki introduced Chie to Kai when she visited their class during a lunch break last year, and it was Chie's first time seeing a guy talking to Yuzuki so casually. It was also the first time Chie saw Yuzuki being all friendly with someone of the opposite sex. She thought that Kai was friendly and polite, while he thought of Chie as cute and funny. They never really got a chance to interact without Yuzuki’s presence because Chie and Kai only see each other when they visit each other’s classrooms. “I’m doing alright,” Chie replied sweetly before turning her attention back to Yuzuki. “I would love you forever if you could get me out of here,” 

Yuzuki rummaged through her bag and handed Chie a white chocolate bonbon wrapped in red, shiny, plastic. “Here’s something to help you during the meeting.”

"Oh my gosh! Thank you!" Chie happily took the bonbon from Yuzuki and slid it into her skirt pocket. "So, what brings you here, Yuzuki and…" Chie stopped, looked at her surroundings and then leaned closer to Yuzuki. "with Kai-kun too," she whispered.

“Ah, he said that he was going to see his club members.” Yuzuki then looked behind, trying to see if Kai was still there, but he wasn’t. He had quietly slipped away from the two girls not too long ago and is now talking with his friends. “There he is.” Kai was already on the other side of the room, with Kuroo and Yaku. Yuzuki thought Kai and Yaku emanated this parently vibe, with Kai as the dad and Yaku, the mom. Kuroo, on the other hand, had this menacing aura to him that she didn’t particularly like. 

On the other side, Kuroo caught Yuzuki looking at him. He didn’t know who Yuzuki was as a person, but he smirked at her anyway. Yuzuki furrowed her eyebrows and immediately looked away. He was still staring at her, though, for he liked how she looked with her medium length hair tumbling down her shoulders with a sweet smile on her face. However, Yuzuki disliked how Kuroo smirked as if he was trying to make her notice him more. Yuzuki diverted her full attention to Chie, who was repeatedly calling out her name. “Oh, sorry, I spaced out. What were we talking about?”

“We were talking about why you’re not in any clubs again this year. Are you sure you don’t want to join the cheerleading club? It would be much more fun if you were there.” Chie said with a pout. “My senpais are really nice and chill, but it would be great to have a friend around.”

“I don’t feel like doing any clubs again. It’s kind of hard for me to balance chores, studying, and my non-existent social life. Plus, I’m not as talented as you.” 

Chie was about to convince Yuzuki more but was interrupted by her senpai, who came dashing inside the classroom, screaming her name. “Fukuhara! You better not be getting ready to leave school when you clearly said you were going to the meeting.”

“Kaede-senpai! I’m not gonna run away. I’ll have you know I am pretty committed to the cheer club.” Chie shrugged with a grin. “See?” Chie hastily fixed her things while Kaede watched her. In Chie’s mind, though, she was crying because she thought she could skip without anyone knowing. Too bad, Kaede was too hands-on whenever Chie was concerned. “Alright, senpai, take me away!” Kaede shook her head in exasperation at her kouhai’s antics. She knows that Chie held a lot of promise as a flyer on the cheerleading club, so as much as possible, Kaede wants Chie to be involved in the meetings and practices. Kaede held Chie’s wrist, urging her to start walking. Chie followed Kaede, waving back at Yuzuki with a pout. “I’ll message you after the meeting, Yuzu-chan! Don’t forget my snacks!”

“Bye-bye, Chie! Talk to you later, and see you tomorrow.” Yuzuki waved at Chie, who was half-walking and being half-dragged by Kaede. When Chie disappeared from her field of vision, Yuzuki knew that she had to leave because there wasn’t really anything to keep her there. She turned on her heels and headed straight for the door until Kai called her attention. She looked at him, and much to his dismay, Kuroo and Yaku looked at her too. Yuzuki felt awkward and vulnerable, mostly when Kuroo stared at her. “What’s up?” Yuzuki said now, trying her best to ignore Kuroo and look normal in front of Yaku.

“I forgot to ask you,” Kai started, attempting not to sound desperate to get Yuzuki’s attention. “Any fun plans tonight?”

Yuzuki hummed and then replied, “Yeah, I’m going to do some grocery shopping, and I also brought some books to read. But, who knows? I might not study and just end up playing video games all night.” Yuzuki chuckled at the thought of her removing the Science book from her bag, then taking a good look at it before ultimately shoving it back in her backpack. “I might pass out too after eating, so, yeah… Those are my fun plans for tonight.” Yuzuki then noticed Kuroo smirk at her again, and this really irritated her. “What the heck is he smirking for?” she thought. 

“That sounds like a lot of fun. Well, I don’t want to keep you. See you tomorrow, Yuzu.” Kai smiled and waved. 

“Have fun at practice,” Yuzuki chirped, thankful that she didn’t have practice or meetings after school. “Have a good rest of your day,” she then bowed at Kai, Kuroo and Yaku. “and see you tomorrow, Nobu!” And with that, Yuzuki hurriedly left the classroom, leaving only the three boys inside. 

### 

The three guys walked silently to their club room. No one said anything to each other, especially after Yuzuki left, although Yaku and most especially Kuroo, wanted to know who this ‘Yuzu’ person was. Kai felt that his two friends were curious about Yuzuki, so as they were walking, he was trying to think of how to tell who she was without making them ask for more details. “I know you guys want to ask, so just go for it,” Kai said with a sigh, feeling the tension grow more significant between the three of them. It’s not like he had anything to hide about his relationship with Yuzuki anyway. But for some reason, he didn’t want to share a lot of details about her.

“Well, first of all, what’s with that Yuzu-Nobu thing, huh? Are you guys dating?” Yaku asked, suspicious.  
“No,” Kai replied immediately. “We’re just really good friends. I accidentally called her Yuzu last year, and she responded by calling me Nobu.” 

Yaku hummed, still suspicious of Kai. “Alright, why were you with her in our class earlier then?”

Kai shrugged. “I came to fetch you guys! I wanted to go to practice together. I didn’t see anything wrong with that. Kuroo, back me up here, would you?”

Kuroo was just nonchalantly listening to Yaku and Kai’s conversation. Although he was partly listening, he was more interested in who Yuzuki was as a person, not as who she was to Kai. Kuroo has often seen Yuzuki and thought she was charming. The first time he saw her was on the first day of classes this year when she accompanied Chie to her new class. Chie transferred from the regular courses to college-prep, and being the only person who switched classes this year, she needed the support from her best friend. Kuroo remembered Yuzuki giving Chie a bag of chips and bonbons for courage, which he thought was quite endearing. Yuzuki stayed in their classroom for a while, giving Chie time to settle while unknowingly giving Kuroo some time to look at her. “If she had longer hair, she would be prettier,” he said to himself back then.

Yaku looked at Kuroo, confused why he wasn’t retorting like he usually does. “I think Kuroo just went senile.” Yaku teased with a grin. When Kuroo didn’t respond, he slapped his arm. “Oi! Tetsurou Kuroo! Are you alive?”

Kuroo sighed. “How could I be senile when I am full of Docosahexaenoic acid?” Kuroo looked down at Yaku and smiled slyly. “I will never go senile.”

Yaku grunted, put both his hands on his hips and looked up at Kuroo. “If you keep eating your beloved fish, Kuroo-san, you might just turn into one. You’ll be senile and scaly.”

Kuroo imitated Yaku’s pose and grunted back. “Ha?!”

“Alright, let’s not get carried away,” Kai tried to intervene by placing his hands on his friends’ backs. “Let’s just go inside.” Kai opened the door to their club room and immediately bowed and greeted their senpai’s ‘good afternoon’ when he saw them changing. Kuroo and Yaku followed suit, but Kai noticed that Kuroo looked somewhat displeased. “Are you okay, Kuroo?” he asked.

Kuroo scanned the room. “Kenma’s not here.” 

“Kozume,” one of their senpais started, which caught their attention. “He arrived way before us. We saw him walking towards the gym when we were about to head to the club room.”

Kuroo felt relieved that Kenma was not skipping practice even though today was not a mandatory club day. Kenma wanted to quit the club not too long ago because some of the senpais were too demanding and unfair. But, he was able to talk him out of leaving by saying that he has sharp observation skills and that he follows directions very well. Kuroo was not lying when he also said that everyone else knows that Kenma is good at the game and will be their primary asset in making the team stronger. “Oh, thank you for letting me know, senpai.” Feeling better about Kenma’s attendance, he went inside the club room with Kai and Yaku to get changed.

### 

[Coincidence - Culture Code, Karra](https://open.spotify.com/track/7tR2DV2ex45EX7imBEs3FF?si=abrv8fxFS1-TsR3MOgj0Cg)

Yuzuki felt incredibly satisfied after eating the kimchi spaghetti that she made for dinner tonight. She already packed Chie’s share before eating dinner so she wouldn’t have a reason to say that she didn’t make enough. She felt giddy at the thought of giving Chie kimchi spaghetti and snacks tomorrow at lunchtime. It always gives her joy whenever she shares food with her friends, but then she wondered how Kai would react if she gave him something aside from the usual snacks. Yuzuki looked back at the stove where the pan containing the kimchi spaghetti was. “I guess I can give Nobu some. I have my portion and Chie’s already anyway. This might not be enough for Nobu but, at least I have something to give.” Yuzuki said to herself and then proceeded to pack Kai’s share in a small container. “I hope it would suit Nobu’s taste.”

After Yuzuki finished cleaning up the kitchen, she went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She thought that she needed this bath a lot. Her body was aching from doing groceries, cooking, and studying the whole day. As she slowly dipped inside the bathtub, she began recalling the events of today. She thought that today was a good day despite being stressed out. She also contemplated how funny it was that Chie’s senpai had to barge into her classroom just to make sure she goes to the meeting. She chuckled as she remembered Chie’s cute, pouting face as she left the classroom. But, Yuzuki’s mood changed for the worse when the image of Kuroo smirking at her popped up. He didn’t smirk at her once, but twice! “The nerve of that guy….” Yuzuki mumbled as she submerged her head in the water for a few seconds and then sitting right back up, gasping for air. “So annoying! I hope I never get to see that smirk of his ever again!”

A couple of blocks away, the object of Yuzuki’s thoughts was currently flopped on his bed, reading a book by Naoyuki Seguchi, his favourite author. Kuroo just started reading the book last Sunday, but he was almost done with it. He flipped the book’s remaining pages, trying to gauge how fast he can finish the book. “Probably tomorrow,” he told himself, flipping the pages with his thumb again. Just then, a bright green piece of paper fell from the book and landed on his chest. Kuroo sat up, closed the book, and held up the note. He flipped it, and his eyes widened when he saw what was written on it.

> Hello, 
> 
> I hope this note finds you well. I actually don’t know why I am writing this note, but I decided why not? This book by Seguchi-sensei is the first that I’ve read from his collection, and as I kept reading, I felt emotional, and I also felt the need to connect with someone who reads his work. Why do you like Seguchi-sensei? Is it because romance meets science fiction? For me, that was the reason why I began enjoying his books.  
>  If you have different reasons for why you like Seguchi-sensei, I would love to hear about them.  
>  This note might not reach anyone, and I might look weird for doing this, but whatever!  
>  ヽ( ￣д￣)ノ
> 
> Yours,  
>  Yuzuki Sakamori, Class 1-4.

Kuroo reread the note. The handwriting was small, neat, and crisp. He didn’t realize he already had a massive grin on his face as he finished reading it for the third time. Kuroo thought of Yuzuki after practice when he passed by the convenience store on his way home with Kenma. He decided that he wanted to know more about her but didn’t know how to approach her. “But, this note will make things easier for me,” Kuroo said now as he bit his lip, already thinking about what he’s writing in his note for Yuzuki. With a pen in his hand, he started writing on a light blue piece of paper. “Hello, Sakamori-san,”


	2. Hi.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts with a 'Hi' and a 'Hello'... and maybe a little push from the school staff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Chapters are and will be long; you have been warned!  
> > I based the school calendar on Japan's. However, I will be using the high school schedule here in Canada (classes start at 8:30am and end at 2:55pm)  
> > Links of songs/playlists are posted at some story/chapter breaks as an OST for the story. Feel free to listen for ~maximum experience~ You have to loop them to fit the whole passage, again for ~maximum experience~ (also you have to open in a new tab, otherwise it will directly take you to Spotify/Youtube)  
> > Naoyuki Seguchi and Kawamoto (librarian) are fictional characters!  
> > Kenma's mom's and Kuroo's dad's names are just made up.  
> > Enjoy and thank you for reading! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ (any comments, violent reactions, and declarations of love would be much appreciated!)

[The Stars in Spring - Music by Epic45](https://open.spotify.com/track/71TryCkZDhMNE79DwML9P9?si=7h29RCOlR8OPqEKivkoiNw)

Kuroo woke up the next day, feeling elated from last night's events. He glanced at the reply he wrote on a light blue piece of paper for Yuzuki to see. She had written her note in their first year, and either no one cared about the letter, or it was just fate that decided to let him read it first. Kuroo scoffed, “Fate, huh?” He left the note on his desk last night. Kuroo stapled the letter Yuzuki had written behind his, so if she questions his message, there was clear evidence of why it exists. Eyeing the note again, he smiled to himself, excited to find ways to give it to her. “God,” he lightly rubbed his face with his hands. “What is up with me…”

It was only 5:37 am, and school will start in three hours. Kuroo thought momentarily on what to do first in the morning but ultimately chose on going for a morning run since it was too early to eat or prepare for school anyway. Kuroo opened the closet, carefully selected a hoodie to wear, and then closed it, humming as he did so. Kuroo wore his hoodie and then checked his appearance in the mirror. "Bedhead, as usual,” he said, disappointed. He tried to fix his hair, but it was too stubborn that he eventually gave up. Kuroo went down the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake his dad and grandparents. Upon arriving downstairs, he realized he forgot to bring his phone with him, so he went back to his room. "Phone, keys… what else? What else?" he mumbled, looking around the room to check if he still needed to bring anything. When Kuroo couldn't figure out what else to get for his run, he just grabbed whatever he thought he needed and went back downstairs.

The morning air was chilly even though summer was just around the corner. Kuroo rubbed his hands together, stretched his arms and legs, and started jogging before transitioning to a run. Kuroo savoured the fresh, crisp breeze touching his face as he kept running. He decided that he can do a lap or two around the neighbourhood. Kuroo wanted to do a third lap since he enjoys running, but he decided that he might be too pressed for time if he did. It took Kuroo almost an hour and twenty minutes to do two laps, and when he finished, he felt really energized and ready for the day. Kuroo opened the door of his home and was greeted by his dad, who was currently in the living room, watching the morning news. “Welcome back!” his dad greeted cheerfully.

“I’m home,” replied Kuroo, removing his shoes. 

“How was your run? I’ll be making breakfast soon, but it will mostly be leftovers. Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll just freshen up and then help you out.” Kuroo went straight to his room after talking to his dad. With his dad mentioning breakfast, Kuroo felt instantly hungry. He didn’t mind eating leftovers since the dinner last night was delicious anyway. But, sometimes, he wished he still had his mom around to-

“Around to what…?,” he asked himself out loud before dismissing any other thoughts about his absent mom.

When Kuroo went back downstairs, he was already set for the day. He was already wearing his uniform with his school bag across his body. Breakfast was ready for him when he arrived downstairs, and even though they were leftovers, his dad was able to make it look fresh and appetizing. Kuroo put down his bag on the couch before heading to the dining room. “I’m sorry I took too long to shower.” He wanted to help his dad prepare, but as usual, Ieyasu Kuroo was on top of everyone when it comes to eating their meals. 

“That’s alright. Go eat up, son.” Ieyasu requested cheerfully without looking back at Kuroo. He was busy washing the containers that were used to store in the leftovers from last night. But since they were all prepared on the table already, Ieyasu decided that it’s best to clean them. “I’ll join you in a bit after I finish cleaning these.”

“I can do it, Dad,” Kuroo said, genuinely wanting to help his dad. He went over to the kitchen sink and turned off the faucet. “Let me do it. You already prepared breakfast, and I said I would help you out anyway. So please, let me do these.”

Ieyasu blinked at Kuroo, wondering when he started being much more dependable than him. “Alright,” he said quietly, conceding to his son’s insistence. He went over to the dining room and sat at the head of the table. “So, how was practice yesterday?”

Kuroo started washing the dishes carefully, not wanting to get any splashes of water on his uniform. There weren’t many containers to clean, but he wanted to help his dad whatever way he could. “It’s the usual. Kenma actually went to practice earlier than the senpais, which was really surprising.”

“Oh, that is surprising,” Ieyasu responded with a hum, surprised to hear that Kenma beat Kuroo to practice. “Wait, did Kenma go to practice early or were you just late, Tetsurou?”

Kuroo laughed, ignoring the question. He wanted to tell Ieyasu that there was a little distraction after classes ended yesterday, but in the end, he didn’t. Kuroo decided to keep his curiosity regarding Yuzuki a secret for now. He decided that he wanted to know Yuzuki more and that the note she left in Seguchi’s book was the catalyst, which he was incredibly thankful for. Kuroo thought that his behaviour is unusual because he has never really shown interest in a girl before. He has always been the one being pursued and not the other way around. “How do you even approach a girl you want to know better?” Kuroo mumbled under his breath.

### 

[Tucana (Instrumental) - Music by Mt. Wolf](https://open.spotify.com/track/0MkT4TZlArPSzoYZpFMMd5?si=_lSL3xz7RP6Ne5v9M_LjQA)

Kuroo arrived at school earlier than usual, and he felt a bit weird because of it. It was only 8:03 am, and classes won’t start until 8:30. Kuroo always goes to school with Kenma, but since he didn’t have to drag Kenma out of bed today, he had a lot of time to spare. When he knocked on the door of Kenma’s house earlier, Kenma’s mother, Himari Kozume, greeted Kuroo with a sweet smile on her face despite relaying the unfortunate news of Kenma being down with a cold. “Good morning, Tetsurou-kun,” she had said. “Kenma won’t be going to school today. He caught a cold last night, and now he has a fever.”

“Oh, is it okay if I check on him?” Kuroo asked worriedly.

“He might be sleeping, but, sure, come on in.”

Kuroo knocked on Kenma’s room carefully. “Kenma? I’m coming in,” he said before opening the door. Kuroo saw Kenma bundled up in blankets with a fever cooling gel on his forehead. Kenma’s eyes were closed, his breathing was steady, indicating that he was sleeping soundly. Kuroo felt uneasy seeing Kenma sick when he was perfectly fine yesterday. Quietly opening the door behind him, Kuroo left Kenma’s room and went down to the living room to thank Himari for letting him in. “I’ll visit again this afternoon. I can also ask his classmates for homework he might miss today.”

Nekoma High was still a bit quiet, with no signs of students anywhere. He knows that the school was open, though, for he just saw a teacher go inside the building. Kuroo wondered if the library was available this early. He didn’t want to head straight to the classroom and sit at his desk like a loser. Kuroo decided that the library was the best choice to spend his free time at; otherwise, it would be the classroom for him.

Nekoma High’s library is modern, stylish, yet inviting, making it one of the school places students enjoy. A couple of reasons why the students of Nekoma High like the library is because of the free Wi-Fi connection and its colourful design. The library is also carpeted with love seats, wing chairs, and armchairs aesthetically placed in the general reading area, which is in the middle of the room, just a couple of footsteps away from the circulation desk. There are tables and stools and electric outlets for the students to use in each library section if their devices require charging. The library was still spacious, despite having a lot of furniture, and it was not only because of the floor space but also because of the windows. The library’s tall walls consisted mostly of windows overlooking the front of the school, and they were covered with solar shades to give the students privacy and protection from the sun in the afternoon. The library at Nekoma High is something that the students take pride in; it is designed to make students visit and understand that the library can be a fun and encouraging place to learn.

Kuroo invited himself to the library since the doors were non-existent anyway. Passing by the circulation desk, Kuroo glanced at the librarian who was nonchalantly drinking coffee from a tumbler. Kuroo bowed, and with a quiet voice, he greeted, "Good morning, Kawamoto-sensei.”

"Good morning, Kuroo-kun. It's rare seeing you in the morning." Kawamoto-sensei said drowsily and then retook a sip of coffee. "Well, library hours are from 8:15 to 3:30, but since you're here already, you can hang out. Just make sure you go to class when the bell rings, got it?"

"Thanks, sensei," Kuroo replied with a genuine smile before walking away and heading straight to the science fiction area. The science fiction area didn’t have a lot of books to choose from, so going through them was reasonably easy for Kuroo, who not only reads fast but has sharp eyes as well. There was, however, an abundance of Naoyuki Seguchi books. And by _‘abundance,’_ it was Seguchi having 5 books than the other authors only having one in the whole section. Kuroo carefully picked out Naoyuki Seguchi’s _‘Island of the Night Sky’_ from the shelf despite having read it before. He then remembered the note left by Yuzuki, where she mentioned that she began enjoying Seguchi’s books because _‘romance meets science fiction.’_ Kuroo chuckled. “How is it romance meeting science fiction when his books are **_in_** science fiction?” Trying to wrap his head around Yuzuki’s thought process, he heaved a sigh as he placed his right hand on his hip. When Kuroo first read Seguchi’s work, he was in awe at how Seguchi wrote a story filled with philosophical insights and the promotion of ethical thinking. He could not recall any romance in it, and he had read almost all of Seguchi’s books!

Still feeling bewildered, Kuroo marched to the circulation desk and slammed both his hands on the counter. Kawamoto, the librarian, slightly jumped from his chair. “Geh,” he muttered, putting down the newspaper he was reading before Kuroo decided to slam the desk out of god knows what. “What is it, Kuroo-kun?” He tried to smile at the student, but on the inside, he was filled with displeasure. “This better be good. I was just about to read the comics too…” he said menacingly in his head. 

“Uh, well.” Kuroo hadn’t really thought things through when he marched to the desk. He glanced away, mentally practicing what he wanted to ask Kawamoto. “Uh,” he started, feeling awkward now. “Kawamoto-sensei, would you say that Seguchi-sensei’s books fall into romance meets science fiction or is it purely science fiction for you?”

Kawamoto grunted, leaning back on his chair to relax so he could think of a response. “For me, it’s more science fiction meets adventure. Like that one book, what’s the title again?” He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and hummed. “I think it was _‘Oceans of Solaris.’_ Have you read that one?”

“Yeah, I mean, I get that _Oceans of Solaris_ is sci-fi and adventure because they go on hunts and stuff, and they use technology to search for Solaris despite the world being barren and on the verge of dystopia. But, how are the other books by Seguchi-sensei romance meets science fiction? I mean, in Oceans, there isn’t any romance, right?” Kuroo panted after his rant, and when he came to, he saw Kawamoto sensei with both of his palms out as if saying _‘we don’t do that here.’_ “Sorry, I got carried away.”

The librarian sighed. “I can’t really say that much, to be honest, since I’ve only read one book of his.”

“Aren’t you a librarian?”

“I sure am!” Kawamoto replied with a smug look on his face while shrugging.

“Well, if the librarian can’t provide me answers, then I don’t know who else to ask.” Kuroo groaned, feeling dejected.

Kawamoto, who was 26 years of age, wasn’t offended at how Kuroo retorted. Instead, he understands teenage humour and sarcasm because of a similarly aged family member. “There are only two of you who read Seguchi in the whole school if I can recall correctly. Just search for that other person, and you will get your answers.”

The room went silent. Kuroo already knew who the other person was, so there was no point in asking their point of view when _**their**_ very point of view was the one messing with his head. But then again, he cursed at himself because his earlier actions were so uncool. He had ranted to a librarian just because of this one girl who doesn’t even know him and vice versa. Taking a deep breath, Kuroo backed off from the circulation desk, walked over to the general reading area, and flopped himself on the bean bag. “You can’t lose your cool like that ever again, Kuroo,” he told himself. “That was embarrassing.”

Kawamoto studied Kuroo, whose eyes were closed and whose body was being hugged by the blue bean bag in the middle of the room. He didn’t really care about Kuroo’s outburst earlier, but he was glad that the student was trying to calm himself down. “Kuroo-kun, you better be mindful of the time. I don’t want you to be missing class because of that bean bag.”

“What time is it, sensei?” Kuroo asked, with eyes still closed, feeling thoroughly relaxed by the piece of furniture he was resting on.

“8:13!” Kawamoto responded loudly, which startled himself and the student who just entered the library. “Oh, sorry! Hi, good morning.”

“Good morning, Kawamoto-sensei. You’re awfully loud for a librarian.” the student joked.

Kawamoto smiled nervously. “Sorry, I was just keeping tabs on that...” he then pointed his thumb towards Kuroo. “...little student who is nestled by the bean bag.” he finished with a shake of his head.

Kuroo instantly stood up and exclaimed, “I am 187 centimetres, sensei; I am not little! I am the tallest out of everyone in the volleyball team, okay and maybe the most handsome too, hah!” Then as if someone slapped him in the face, his cheeks pinkened, for standing a few metres away from him was the very person messing with his thoughts and also the person he didn’t want to see the hot-headed, shouting, uncool side of him.

Yuzuki.

[Hi, Hello - English cover by Rosalie; Original by Day6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9xoeWApTbc)

She was staring at Kuroo, and Kuroo felt both elated and embarrassed, seeing her first thing in the morning. Kuroo straightened up and mustered up the courage to wave at Yuzuki. However, Yuzuki returned Kuroo’s wave by haughtily tilting her chin upwards at him before looking away. Kuroo couldn’t believe she actually had the gall to do that to him, and so with heavy steps, he walked towards where Yuzuki was standing.

Yuzuki could hear Kuroo’s footsteps grow louder by the second, indicating that he was making his way over to where she was. She cursed at herself for even trying to look haughty first so that he wouldn’t find the time to smirk at her. But, apparently, that backfired. “Oh God,” she mumbled, catching the attention of Kawamoto, who was now very interested in the two of them.

Kuroo studied Yuzuki, the medium-length black-haired girl who was currently taking up 30% of his thoughts for two reasons: 1. The haunting note she left in the book he has in his possession; and 2. Her close friendship with Kai made him feel a bit friendly with a particular green-eyed monster. Kuroo didn’t like how irrational it was to be interested in Yuzuki without knowing a single thing about her, well, except for how she’s best friends with Chie and how she’s _Yuzu_ to Kai. Kuroo closed his eyes momentarily to calm himself down. “Hi,” he managed to say, half-expecting a response and half not.

No response.

“Hi,” he repeated.

Still nothing.

Yuzuki was not budging, and she wasn’t even trying to respond. She was just blocking out every single noise as she planned on how to excuse herself from this predicament she has gotten into. Yuzuki was just standing in front of Kuroo with her pretty little head tilted downwards. Kuroo didn’t show signs of annoyance regarding Yuzuki ignoring him. Instead, he was just waiting, with his hand on his hip and his eyes studying her intently. He didn’t smile or frown; his face was just relaxed yet filled with anticipation.

However, Kawamoto was growing terribly impatient at the lack of development between the two teenagers in front of him, so he decided to butt in. “Sakamori-chan, Kuroo-kun said _‘Hi’_ and it’s kind of rude if you just ignore him like that.”

Kuroo saw Yuzuki look at Kawamoto and her cheeks were pink and her eyes wide from embarrassment. “I… uh, but…” she stammered, still averting her gaze from Kuroo.

“Sakamori-chan,” Kawamoto clapped at every syllable of her last name. “You’re not this shy, aren’t you? You talk a lot inside the library even though you shouldn’t. Right now, it’s just the two of you here, so why not say hi?”

Yuzuki gaped at Kawamoto. “Holy ssh--eezball,” she cursed inside her mind. “But why?! I just want to borrow a book, sensei; why do you have to put me on the spot like this?” Yuzuki complained using a hushed voice so that Kuroo won’t hear, but since he was standing not even two feet away from her, it was all for naught.

Kawamoto cleared his throat, quickly glanced at Kuroo, whose expression didn’t change except for his eyes were now silently admiring how stubborn Yuzuki was. Kuroo blinked at Yuzuki, his lips slightly parting. “One more push,” Kawamoto smilingly said to himself and then teasingly, “Sakamori-chan? Your manners?”

She turned her body to face Kuroo, her hair bouncing as she did. Kuroo thought she looked so lovely. “Hello,” Yuzuki said quietly.

“Speak up, Sakamori-chan! We can’t hear you.” Kawamoto carefully goaded with a sly smile on his face.

“Hello!” Yuzuki said out loud. “Hello. Hello. Hello!”

The look on her face was something Kuroo could never forget. No, it was not only unforgettable. It was breathtaking. Yuzuki’s teeth were clenched, her eyebrows furrowed, her cheeks still pink, and her eyes… Kuroo gazed deeply into her eyes. Her eyes were filled with so much emotion, mostly of indignation. She was a mess of emotions, but Kuroo can’t help but think how lovely she was again because of this. “Hi,” he greeted one more time, this time with a hint of ardour, for his heart was beating faster.

Yuzuki averted her gaze for a while, took a deep breath, and then gazed deeply into Kuroo’s eyes. “Hello, Kuroo-kun. Good morning.”

### 

[your text - Music by Sundial](https://open.spotify.com/track/4jvD24BuaKyDBC8IMtKa9H?si=ikfeNtvMROGZuRdXpS7QpA)

Kuroo and Yuzuki walked in silence as the two headed to their respective classrooms. After the awkward situation back at the library, Yuzuki remained silent, only responding to Kawamoto’s questions and utterances. Kuroo, on the other hand, was merely happy having Yuzuki greet him. He still could not pinpoint the exact reason he was so attracted to her, but instead of thinking of the **_Why_ **, he just enjoyed the **_Now_ **. And now, it is Tetsurou Kuroo graduating from being invisible to Yuzuki Sakamori. Their classrooms were not far from the library, but Kuroo still wanted to keep her for himself because he doesn’t know when he will talk with her again. Sure, he has made himself known to her, and she has made a lasting impression on him. But, they were in different classes, different friend groups, and different schedules. He thought that he couldn’t just mess that up. It would be weird and uncomfortable if he just started bothering her when they weren’t even at the level of friends yet.

Kuroo sighed, walking slower so that the time he gets to spend with Yuzuki will lengthen. He stopped walking eventually to take out his phone from his pocket to check the time. Less than ten minutes before classes start. Kuroo then saw Yuzuki stop walking, and then she looked back, wondering where he went. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked him simply, clutching the canvas tote bag she was holding in both of her hands.

“Like what?” Kuroo asked without a hint of malice.

“Like you want to tell me something.”

He cast a glance at the tote bag she was aggressively clutching now. Kuroo surmised that whatever is in the bag must have been heavy for Yuzuki since she was carrying it with two hands. “May I carry that for you?”

Yuzuki’s left hand let go of the tote bag’s straps, and with her right hand, lifted it close to her chest. “It’s not heavy, see? I can manage.” Yuzuki then noticed the slight change in Kuroo’s facial expressions as if her response disheartened him. She still didn’t know how to act around Kuroo. He did not smirk at her today, which she was thankful for, but at the same time, she was still indignant at how they were practically forced to interact by Kawamoto. 

Voices inside Yuzuki’s head prodded her to give Kuroo and herself a chance to know each other. They were saying many things, such as: _Don’t be too prejudiced, Yuzuki. Maybe it won’t be a terrible idea getting to know him, right? Just because he smirked at you doesn’t mean he’s a downright awful person. You know that. He might be a nice guy with just a scary face, and we should never judge a book by its cover. Give him a chance. Follow the path to kindness and friendship, Yuzuki._ “It’s just food that I’m planning on sharing with some friends.” Yuzuki finally replied after giving herself time to think and weigh on the advice of her conscience.

Kuroo beamed at her as he started to walk towards her. He wanted to catch up to her, not that she moved an inch, though. When he finally caught up, she started walking again, with Yuzuki following closely beside him, much to his delight. “Yeah? What did you make, and who are you giving it to?”

“I made kimchi spaghetti last night for dinner,” Yuzuki responded gaily. She didn’t feel awkward telling Kuroo what she made because it was about food anyway. And she loves food very much. “I’m sharing it with Chie and Nobu. Well, it was only for Chie at first, but then I thought of Nobu, so even if it’s just a small portion, I might as well share.”

Jealousy coursed through Kuroo’s veins at the image of Kai smilingly receiving Yuzuki’s handmade dish. Kai would no doubt proudly eat it during lunchtime, no matter how small the portion was. Kuroo was irritated now, but he didn’t want to show it. Not now. Not right now. He’s finally having a conversation with her. He can’t ruin it by being bitter. “That’s really generous of you, Sakamori-ch…” Kuroo stopped himself from saying the suffix -chan for he didn’t want to get ahead of himself and drive her away.

“Oh god, don’t call me Sakamori-chan. **_Please,_** ” she laughed. “Unless you’re Kawamoto-sensei, don’t call me that. Sakamori is fine or whatever else you can think of.”

He covered his face with his forearm, trying to hide the smile that was starting to creep on his face. “Then, can I call you Yucchan?” Kuroo could feel his heartbeat ring in his ears. “I mean, if you don’t like Yucchan, I can just call you Sakamori-san, or just Sakamori...” he trailed off, rubbing the nape of his neck. 

The two didn’t notice that they finally reached the hallway where their classrooms were located. It took many guffaws and conversations from the students to pull them back down to reality because Kuroo and Yuzuki were already starting to get comfortable in their own little world. The two walked silently along the hallway, trying to maintain maximum distance from each other as much as possible so it wouldn’t look like they were together. Yuzuki just didn’t want to be a target of bullying by Kuroo’s fans, not that she cared anyway about what they think, but at the same time, she doesn’t really want to deal with drama. And so, she stepped away from him, much to Kuroo’s dismay.

“Well, this is me,” Yuzuki said when they reached her classroom.

“Wait,” he implored her when she was about to enter the room. “You didn’t answer my question.”

She smiled at him, genuinely, sweetly, and innocently. “Sakamori is fine. You can’t call me Yucchan, yet.”

The word **_yet_** was like music to his ears. “ ** _Yet?_** What do you mean by **_‘yet’_** ?” He took a step closer, and so did she. Yuzuki looked behind her, not wanting any classmates to eavesdrop on her conversation with Kuroo. “Sorry, I-”

“It means we will talk again,” Yuzuki finally replied, starting to feel anxious when students passed by in front of them. She was relieved that none of her classmates were going through the door because she was hugging the entryway by standing there. Yuzuki doesn’t want to be teased as a Kuroo fanboy by her classmates. _Snacking Queen_ as her title was enough. Nothing more. “I have to go, okay?” Yuzuki said nervously.

“When?” He didn’t want to let her go just yet, but there wasn’t any time he knew that for a fact. From a distance, he could hear the voices of students who were making their way to their respective classrooms. As the voices drew nearer, Yuzuki showed a worried expression. He didn’t know why she looked so nervous right now, but he assumed that maybe she just didn’t want to be cornered for the second time today. “I want to be friends with you. How can that happen?”

Yuzuki stepped closer to Kuroo, carefully looking around and when the number of students who were passing by declined, she stood in front of Kuroo. Only a foot separating them. “Text me.” She was serious when she said this, but afterwards, she smiled. “Ask my number from Chie, and we’ll go from there. Does that sound good?” Kuroo started to part his lips to speak, but Yuzuki interrupted, smiling at him, her eyes shining. “But if you smirk at me ever again, consider your number blocked.” Yuzuki bit her lower lip, trying not to laugh. She felt giddy suddenly when she talked to Kuroo about texting her, or maybe because he told her that he wanted to be friends with her. Whichever reason it was, she felt soft. “Bye,” she mouthed before disappearing into the classroom. 

Kuroo walked away from Class 2-4’s room and started walking towards his own. He couldn’t believe the turnout of the events from this morning. There was too much interaction with Yuzuki already, and the day was just starting. He doesn’t have the right to complain, though, for he was particularly favoured by the universe today. Kuroo remembered the note that he had fervently written last night as a response to Yuzuki’s. “Who needs that note anyway when a _Hi_ and _Hello_ was all it took to get us started,” Kuroo remarked contentedly to himself as he entered the classroom to begin his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm glad you made it this far! If you are interested in listening to the original of Hi Hello by Day6, here is the link: [ click me! ](https://spoti.fi/345lrbh)
> 
> Also, if you want to read the English translation of the original song, here is the link: [ click me, too! ](https://bit.ly/31jHklf)
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope you will stay tuned for more~ <3


	3. Hurdle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are too many hurdles for Kuroo just to get Yuzuki's number and start a friendship with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Chapters are and will be long; you have been warned!  
> > The class schedule is completely made up by me. I did the math for each subject's duration and will be posting what it looks like later on as the story progresses.  
> > Links of songs/playlists are posted at some story/chapter breaks as an OST for the story. Feel free to listen for ~maximum experience~ You have to loop some of them to fit the whole passage, again for ~maximum experience~ (also you have to open in a new tab; otherwise it will directly take you to Spotify/Youtube)  
> > Another information about the 'OST', some songs are linked either before or after the passage. If the song is linked before, it means you have to listen to it while reading. If the song is linked after the story passage, it means it's like and ending song.  
> > The Crab Cannery Ship by Takiji Kobayashi is a real book.  
> > I imagined the cafeteria at Nekoma High as something similar to some high schools here in Canada, where there are indeed microwaves and an abundance of vending machines.  
> > The Shakujii River is a real river in Nerima City, where Nekoma High school is supposed to be located at.  
> > Enjoy, and thank you for reading! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ (any comments, violent reactions, and declarations of love would be much appreciated!)

Time went by rather slowly for Class 2-5. They had Modern Literature and English for 50 minutes each after homeroom, which was really taxing for all the students because of how intense both classes went. In Modern Literature, the students had to study _The Crab Cannery Ship_ by _Takiji Kobayashi_ , which was quite exciting but very heavy to learn about. Some students liked reading about how fishers started a rebellion due to unfair treatment in a ship, which was their workplace. The issue of capitalism in the story evoked strong emotions like displeasure, disapproval, and annoyance from the students, especially when they have connected fiction with reality for workers across the country, and even across the globe were experiencing wretched treatment from these capitalists. The book sparked intense discussions within the class, and while some of the learners were interested in the points presented by their peers, some found it confusing to internalize.

It was a bit more relaxed in English class because all they did was listen to the teacher, do their workbooks, and practise English conversation with a partner. Even then, the amount of work they had to do in a 50-minute time frame was still stressful. English conversation was easy for a handful of learners in Class 2-5, but a majority needed a lot of support from the teacher and the students who have a strong command of the foreign language. Chie was one of the few students who were tasked to help out some peers who were struggling with the activity. She didn’t mind helping them out, especially with the pronunciation of words and correct grammar use, but she felt her energy level drain quickly as she did so. By the time English class finished and the students were given a twenty-minute break, Chie was all ready to take a power nap. Both subjects were mentally exhausting for her, and she honestly felt like her brain just short-circuited and turned into goop, so as soon as the teacher gave them the signal to enjoy their free time, Chie rested her head on her arms, which were crossed over her desk. As a part of her easy-going personality, Chie didn’t really care much about what her classmates would think of her taking a nap. I mean, if it’s allowed for Japanese employees to sleep at work as a sign of showing diligence, then the same rule should be allowed for students.

Despite the room not being a suitable environment for a person to sleep in because of the noises and the uncomfortable ‘sleeping area,’ Chie still felt her body loosen up and eventually drifted off to sleep. Chie started to go into the light stage of sleep not too long after she began to rest her head on her desk. She was still aware of what was going on in her environment, but Chie could also feel being drawn to a calmer place inside her mind, urging her to give in to slumber. “Macarons…” she whispered to herself before letting go. 

“Fukuhara!” a voice called out loudly, momentarily pulling Chie back down into light consciousness.

Chie refused to open her eyes.

“Fukuhara!” the voice called out again, much louder, with more emphasis. “You can’t possibly be asleep already. It’s been researched and scientifically proven that your body is still alert in stage one of non-REM sleep and can be woken up as well. I know you’re awake, so there’s no use pretending.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” an annoyed voice asked.

“I’m just stating facts,” the first voice, which was deep and manly, responded in a teasing way.

Chie knew who the voices belonged to. The deep, fruity voice belonged to beanpole rooster Kuroo, while the pleasant yet annoyed voice belonged to Yaku. She liked Yaku’s voice the best out of everyone in her class because despite him always being griefed by his teammates and peers, she could feel his parently qualities shine through. She still didn’t open her eyes, though. Listening to the two boys talk about her, Chie treated them as just white noise--and white noise helped her sleep. Thinking about macarons one more time, Chie tried to dive back into sleep.

“Fukuhara,” beanpole rooster Kuroo said, coming closer to Chie’s desk while still remaining a respectable distance between them. “I have something to talk with you about.” Kuroo looked at Chie’s sleeping figure. Her pastel pink hair spilling over her shoulders and face despite its semi-short length. Kuroo was confused as to why Chie was wearing track pants under her skirt, though. He thinks Chie is pretty cute, but not as much as Yuzuki. Chie had a more sassy, cutesy, and easy-going vibe around her, while Yuzuki had a responsible, mature, and alluring touch. Sometimes Kuroo wondered how they became friends.

When Chie first entered their class a few months ago after transferring from the standard courses to college-prep, Kuroo thought she would be docile and shy. She was clinging on Yuzuki’s arm, or it might have been the other way around. Either way, they were clinging to each other. Little did he know that Chie was actually free-spirited, lazy, and quite an eater. She began showing her true colours more as soon as the days went on. Chie would always eat during class, munching on chips and sweets to keep her energy levels going. She would also take a bunch of photos during her free time to collect _memories_ , as she would often say, and this would only happen if she’s not taking a nap, like right now. 

Kuroo still didn’t know much about Yuzuki, although he has been silently observing her from the sidelines ever since seeing her for the first time a few months ago when she walked Chie to her new class. He wasn’t aware that Kai was really close to Yuzuki to the point that they even have nicknames for each other. It’s not like Kai talks about himself that much anyway. He has always been a quiet fellow, only speaking when he needed to or when he has a question, so it was quite perplexing for Kuroo to see Kai being close to a girl. It was also mildly vexing to Kuroo how Yuzuki was hard stuck in his head like a bee in a bonnet.

The memory of Yuzuki in the library earlier rushed through Kuroo’s mind like a flood. Yuzuki showed how adorable she could be to him. She was blushing at him. She was looking at him. She also wanted to be friends with him! He felt ecstatic again, feeling a new softness in his chest and a light queasiness in his stomach. He admitted that he was pretty forward with his advances earlier, but it didn’t seem like Yuzuki minded. Well, he thinks that she didn’t care about it all, considering how she walked with him and even suggested that he ask her number from her sleeping best friend. Kuroo slightly bared his teeth, dispelling any other thought of his time with Yuzuki earlier in the day and focusing on her sleeping best friend. “Oi-”

Yaku teasingly punched Kuroo’s arm. “Just leave her alone, Kuroo.” He rolled his eyes at the tall guy beside him. Yaku was utterly oblivious to why Kuroo suddenly decided to talk to Chie, given the fact that the two only talk if they are in a group activity. Other than that, they stay away from each other but treat each other civilly. Kuroo still didn’t move from his place despite Yaku suggesting that they give Chie space. This made Yaku think of all sorts of reasons why the rooster head was so hung up on the sleeping girl. _Could Kuroo possibly be interested in Fukuhara? He’s not usually this persistent over someone other than Kenma. Maybe Kuroo is going to confess? Oh, this is gonna be good…_ “Hey Kuroo, if you wanna talk to Fukuhara about something of **_this_** importance,” Yaku commented. “Tell her after school when there are not too many people around.” His face, including his ears, turned rouge at the thought of Kuroo being alone with Chie, confessing his feelings to her.

Kuroo narrowed his eyes at Yaku, raised an eyebrow, and when he figured out what Yaku was implying, he yelped. “No! It’s not what you think it is, you idiot!” Kuroo pointed at Chie’s head. “Yakkun, you thought I’m going to confess to her?! Her? Fukuhara? Why? What? Where’s your brain at?”

Yaku threw his arms up in the air, shouting back the black-haired boy. “Well, grandpa?! How was I supposed to know? You were very ambiguous!”

“As if you know what ambiguous means!”

“Of course, I know what it means! I just used it in a sentence!”

Chie was very much awake at this point. Well, she has been awake ever since Kuroo called out her name the second time. She couldn’t go back to sleep, and she doesn’t think she will be, especially if her two classmates keep on bickering. “My nap…” she lamented before opening her eyes and sitting up straight on her chair. “I do not get paid in this school to deal with this type of bullcrap,” she grunted and immediately looked daggers at Kuroo and Yaku, holding her gaze until they finished their squabble. Yaku was the first to notice Chie’s terrifying look, and he flinched soon after.

“Oi, Kuroo,” he whispered, waving his hand up and down like a cat scratching its paws on furniture. “Let’s go! Quick! I don’t wanna get in trouble!”

“Ha?!” Kuroo made a face at Yaku, widening his eyes and sticking his tongue out. “Trouble? What do you mean?!” Yaku slightly nodded his head towards Chie’s direction, but Kuroo thought that he was stretching his neck or something. Kuroo scrunched up his face more. “Yakkun, you’re so weird.”

“You know,” Chie said in a tight voice, which caught the attention of the two boys. “Normal people would just go and ignore those who are sleeping. But you two…” Kuroo and Yaku felt chills down their spine at Chie’s sinister voice. Both boys took a step back, not wanting to get anywhere near Chie lest she decides to jump on them out of annoyance. “You two just didn’t back off. I am flabbergasted at how you kept on bickering as if I wasn’t asleep…” Chie slowly breathed, closing her eyes in the process and then shook her head from side to side. “I’m--”

“Were you even asleep, though?” Kuroo interrupted, with a hint of curiosity in his voice. He rubbed his chin and looked down at Chie, not because he disrespected her, but because of the 25-centimetre height difference.

Chie crossed her arms over her chest and looked straight up at Kuroo. They just stood there, staring at each other as if the battle was happening through telepathy, and whoever breaks eye contact first will surely be the loser, and Chie doesn’t like losing. Especially not to the obnoxious beanpole. She sneered at him, showing how sassy and intimidating she can be. “What do you want?” she asked in a booming voice. “You better speak up, or you can walk away like Yaku-kun like a decent person.”

Kuroo searched for Yaku only to find him naturally blending in with a group of boys from their class. He didn’t appreciate that Yaku ditched him, but at the same time, he knew Yaku would rather not get caught up in a predicament he didn’t want to be a part of. With his lips pursed together, he turned his attention back on the pastel pink-haired girl in front of him, who was crucial to his budding relationship with a certain black-haired female. She was still sneering at him, and Kuroo thought that Chie was stubborn like Yuzuki, making him check off an item in his _‘Why are Yucchan and Fukuhara even friends?’_ list. Equally stubborn, check! He still didn't know how to open up the topic of asking Chie for Yuzuki’s number without him looking like a complete idiot stalker. He also predicted how Chie might react when he does ask, and Kuroo imagined Chie replying with a flat ‘no’ and then going back to sleep or maybe eat, like what she usually does. Mustering up the courage to ask because he can’t afford to waste more time and because he wanted to get everything over with, Kuroo started to speak. “Fukuhara, I wanted to talk to you about something, and before you get any weird ideas, no, I am not confessing to you.”

“Ew,” Chie expressed.

Kuroo pretended he didn’t just hear Chie say anything, so he continued talking. “I was talking to Yuch-- uh,” he stopped to correct himself. “Sakamori earlier today, and she told me to ask you for her number. And, yeah, I want to ask you for that number.” Kuroo rubbed the nape of his neck and looked away, for he could feel his cheeks starting to get warmer, and he didn’t want Chie to see him blushing.

“You…” Chie started to speak. “Woke me up just to _**lie**_?” She stomped her foot on the ground, her hands up in the air as if she threw a table out of annoyance. Modern Literature and English was already mentally and emotionally exhausting for her, and Kuroo adding himself to the picture made everything worse. “Beanpole Kuroo and Yuzuki aren’t even friends, heck! There’s no way Yuzuki would talk to a person like him, so why is he saying that she suggested I give her number to him?” Chie pondered angrily with a pout and furrowed eyebrows.

The tall, black-haired boy’s expectation of Chie just replying ‘no’ straight-up was incredibly wrong. He didn’t expect Chie to be still hung up over an interrupted nap, but he reflected on his actions and made a mental note. _Never interrupt Fukuhara’s sleeping time if you want to see another light of day._ “I’m not lying.”

She rolled her eyes at Kuroo. “And you want me to believe that?”

“Well, obviously!” At this point, Kuroo could feel his blood rushing through his head. “I talked to her this morning in the library! I even walked with her on our way to class this morning!” Thinking of ways to convince Chie that he’s not lying, Kuroo explained the events of today, trying to use a calm voice even though he was at wit’s end over Chie’s lack of enthusiasm and cooperation. Chie’s eyes were utterly void of any sort of emotion, but he knew she was listening, trying to discern whether she should trust him or not. “So that’s what happened, and just so you know, I am a man of my word,” Kuroo placed one hand on his chest and extended the other in front of him.

Chie took out her phone to go through her contacts. She kind of believed Kuroo’s story but only 10%, and it was the part where Yuzuki told him that she brought kimchi spaghetti for her and Kai. Her stomach grumbled as she thought of Yuzuki’s cooking and how much food she will be eating later during lunch. Unknowingly, her frown turned to a smile at the thought of the spicy, savoury, and cheesy flavours dancing inside her mouth. Kuroo mistook Chie’s smile as her finally giving him Yuzuki’s number. But, his hopes were put on hold when Chie began tapping the screen instead of just showing him Yuzuki’s contact details or dictating her number. “Hold on, rooster; I’m texting Yuzuki.”

“Fine,” Kuroo gritted his teeth and glanced at the clock on top of the classroom’s whiteboard. There were only 6 minutes left of their break, and he hasn’t gotten anywhere near his goal. He had just wasted time bickering with Yaku and sneering at Chie. He considered his other options. He could talk to her during lunch, but even then, he wouldn’t want to interrupt Chie’s free time, and it’s not like he knew where she eats lunch anyway. The self-study period was another option, but Chie would probably want to be undisturbed to study while munching on snacks and then continue the power nap that she could not take. After school could work out, Kuroo considered it with a hum; he has club activities this afternoon, and so did Chie, but she might skip because she’s notorious for doing that anyway. He can try to talk to her then and just rush to practice after getting Yuzuki’s number. "Well?"

"Hello, Yuzuki?" Chie said over the phone, blatantly ignoring Kuroo by turning her body away from him. 

"Hey! There are only a few minutes left of the break. Are you sure you should be calling me right now?” Yuzuki replied with a hint of amusement in her voice that only Chie could hear. 

“I know,” Chie, who was not in the least bit offended at Yuzuki reprimanding her, said cutely. “But, I just want to talk to you quickly about a certain person wanting to get your number from me.” She told Yuzuki what Kuroo told her, but it was so fast that Kuroo thought she was rapping. Kuroo was able to keep up with what she was saying to Yuzuki because, according to him, he has a galaxy-level brain. “Can you please confirm if beanpole Kuroo’s story is legit or not?”

Yuzuki sighed. “It’s true. I happened to meet him earlier this morning, and we kind of, uhh…”

“You two hit it off?”

“I wouldn’t exactly phrase it that way, though. But, let’s just say that I’m opening myself to him?” Yuzuki said unsurely that Chie even questioned herself. “Alright, you know what, let’s make this fun! I told him to ask you for my number, right? So let him ask you for that said number.”

Chie turned her body to face Kuroo again, and he noticed that her face glowed, but it was because of the mischief in her eyes and the evil smile she had fun projecting. “Oh! So you mean I can…”

“Yeah.”

“So?” Kuroo urged after Chie said her goodbye and put her phone away. “What did she say?”

“Yuzuki said that you could ask me for her number.”

“Okay? So what’s her number then?” Kuroo asked, irritation in his voice.

Pointing at herself with both of her thumbs, Chie smiled at Kuroo sweetly, but it was not like Yuzuki’s. Chie’s ‘sweet’ smile was more sinister while Yuzuki’s was genuinely endearing. “Oh, I’m sorry you must have misunderstood me. Yes, you can ask me for her number but, no, I am not giving it to you.”

“Why?!” Kuroo flung his arms up in frustration. “Fukuhara! Why can’t you just give me her number? I just want to be friends with Sakamori!” He was unhappy but not to the point of disliking Chie for being a tough nut to crack. “Okay, calm down, me. Maybe Fukuhara is still pissed because of me waking her up so let’s be patient and get on her good side. Maybe if we apologize, she’ll reconsider.” Kuroo thought to himself and then addressed Chie again. “Okay, you know what, I am sorry for waking you up from your nap. I shouldn’t have done that. I was just excited about asking you for Sakamori’s number. Can I make it up to you by giving you candy or something tomorrow?”

Chie huffed, sat back down on her chair, crossed her legs, and her arms over her chest. Looking up at the tall figure in front of her, she waved her hand, shooing him away. “Yeah, if you think that buttering me up will make me reconsider not giving you Yuzuki’s number then,” she sniggered. “You’re absolutely wrong. Now go away; class is starting.”

Kuroo felt like multiple blood vessels popped in his brain from his conversations with Chie. He didn’t know if he should laugh or cry at how frustrated he was at a girl of 162 centimetres. Chie was too cheeky and snarky for his taste, but he knows that he has to accept Chie’s personality if he wants to be friends with Yuzuki. Kuroo chanted the word ‘patience’ in his mind as he walked back to his seat, which was at the very back of the room, by the windows. He then looked out the window, trying to calm himself down by looking at the lush, green trees by the school’s courtyard. The green leaves were vibrant and yet pleasing to look at. Summer will be starting soon, he contemplated happily. Cicadas will be emerging, the sun will be higher in the sky, and the spring flowers will be replaced with summer blooms. He will also be busy with summer training camps with the Fukurodani Academy Group, which he was really looking forward to.

The Fukurodani Academy Group is a group that consists of four schools in the Kanto region who train together in between tournaments. Only four schools are included in the training: Nekoma High, Shinzen High, Ubugawa High, and Fukurodani Academy. Kuroo has a good relationship with the players, but he is most close to Kotaro Bokuto from Fukurodani Academy because of how refreshing he was and is to be with. They became fast friends after one night of individual training when Bokuto stopped Kuroo from going to the cafeteria so he can block some spikes of his, for Bokuto is a wing spiker while Kuroo is a middle blocker. Bokuto is the complete opposite of Kuroo--loud, pouty, and sometimes reckless, but instead of being annoyed with him, he actually enjoyed his presence. Kuroo thought that this summer would be another great one as he smiled at the one tree dancing from the sudden gust of wind. But, of course, it would be better if he could have Yuzuki’s number before it starts so their friendship can blossom. Glancing at Chie now, whose seat was about 3 desks away, Kuroo thought about how he had his work cut out for him, but he was willing to be tolerant and understanding. For Sakamori, he told himself. For Sakamori.

[Through and Through - khai dreams](https://open.spotify.com/track/4RHyIzFRht2z17XeHB9dsF?si=sI0-k42SRp2z1tSj7FhbVQ)

### 

The school bell rang for lunch. The students hurriedly rushed out of their classrooms or took their time standing near the doorway, but Yuzuki did neither. Comfortably slouching in her chair, Yuzuki fiddled with her phone, checking the notifications, which were mostly Twitter mentions from mutuals who play the same game as her. As she waited for the hallway to clear so she could meet up with Chie for lunch. Kai was still on his seat, for he just finished cleaning his desk to prepare for the next classes after lunch. Yuzuki still hasn’t told Kai that she has something special for him, even though they have been passing notes to each other the whole morning whenever the teacher wasn’t looking. Their messages to each other consisted mostly of short sentences and doodles, though Kai wasn’t really much of an artist. During Math, Kai doodled Yuzuki as a bear, but instead of looking like a normal animal, it was absolutely horrifying. Kai had given the bear Yuzuki’s ‘math face’ consisting of narrow eyes, creased forehead, and an O-shaped mouth. He had written that he was sorry that it looked scary, and Yuzuki thought it was so adorable despite it looking like the bear had eaten some sour berries.

“Are you heading out already, Nobu?” Yuzuki asked, smiling, for she felt jubilant after remembering the doodles she shared with Kai.

“Yeah, I should probably go. I don’t want to miss out on the lunch special. How about you?” Kai smiled the usual sweet and polite smile of his that Yuzuki always liked. “Eating at the courtyard again?”

Yuzuki sat up straight. “I brought lunch with me, as usual. But, I thought that the cafeteria might be a good place to eat today. Would you like to walk together?” she asked apprehensively, also feeling a bit shy too. “But, if you have to meet up with your friends from the other class, then it’s totally fine.” Honestly, Yuzuki just wanted to surprise him with the kimchi spaghetti she had made last night.

Kai hummed as he thought of his reply. “It should be fine, Yuzu. I can always meet up with them at the cafeteria anyway.”

“Perfect!” she said happily and then grabbing the tote bag she carefully placed beside her desk before standing up. “Shall we go?”

Chie was already outside of her classroom, for as soon as the bell rang, she hastily exited the classroom to avoid being cornered by Kuroo, in case he wanted to question her about Yuzuki’s number again. She intended to blend in with the crowd of hungry students making their way to the cafeteria or wherever they may eat their lunches at, and so far, her plan has been a complete success because beanpole Kuroo was nowhere to be found near her person. When she saw Yuzuki and Kai exit their classroom talking casually and comfortably with each other, Chie smiled and thought how they looked cute together. “If Kai-kun asked me for Yuzuki’s number instead of rooster boy, I wouldn’t even have to think about it.” Chie imagined herself presenting Yuzuki’s number written on a scented paper folded neatly on top of a gold plate to Kai, kneeling as if she offered him a marvellous treasure. “But then again, Kai-kun probably knows Yuzuki’s number already.” Chie sighed disappointingly before running towards her friends. “Yuzuki-chan!” she called out sweetly, clinging onto Yuzuki’s arm and then waved at Kai. “Hi to you too, Kai-kun!”

The three started walking down the hallway, talking about their day as they made their way to the cafeteria. Kai was talking to Chie about how their class went. They had Math and Japanese before the twenty-minute break and then Science afterwards. He told Chie how the subjects were tedious and challenging to them as a class, especially Math since it was the first subject they had to study today. Chie then interjected by saying that she felt the same way with her classes and felt her brain exploded from the information overload. Yuzuki and Kai laughed at cheeky Chie as she told her friends about this morning’s lessons. “Like, during the break, I wanted to take a nap since my brain was basically like slime, but then, this beanpole rooster kid Kuroo and mother Yaku just had to bicker near my desk! Especially Kuroo! He woke me up multiple times! I am so annoyed!” 

The mention of Kuroo and Yaku bothering Chie instantly worried Kai. “Oh no, what did they do?” He knew his friends were loud and would often squabble, but he never expected them to wake up a sleeping person intentionally. “I’m sorry that they were rude to you, Fukuhara.”

“Yaku-kun was actually fine because he actually thought of his actions and just walked away, but Kuroo stayed and pestered me for Yuzuki’s number! I didn’t give it to him, though,” she said, looking at Yuzuki with sparkles in her eyes. “I totally gave him a hard time. He should have popped a blood vessel or two.”

Kai remained silent, curious as to why Kuroo acted the way he did. Kuroo was never really interested in any girls even though he has been the center of attention since he came to high school because of his tall stature, good looks, and intelligent brain. His friend would almost always receive love letters or confessions from girls in their year or higher. Still, Kuroo would just brush it off by saying that volleyball and studying are more significant than relationships right now. Hearing how Kuroo is vying for Yuzuki’s number was peculiar and suspicious to him. It also made Kai feel uncomfortable and a little bit green-eyed. “Did he say why he wanted Yuzu’s number?” Kai asked cautiously, slowly, not wanting to show any negative emotion.

“I told him to ask Chie for my number this morning,” Yuzuki replied as a matter-of-factly. “Basically, we met each other this morning in the library, and a few other things happened, so we walked to class together. He said he wanted to be friends, but since I didn’t want to be late for homeroom, I told him he could text me and ask Chie for my number.” Recalling the events from this morning made Yuzuki’s cheeks pinken. Kai and Chie both noticed but equally decided not to comment on it mostly because Chie didn’t want Yuzuki to feel uncomfortable and because Kai didn’t want to think about Kuroo evoking certain emotions within Yuzuki. “Anyway, I’m sorry, Chie,” she said quietly after clearing her throat, regaining her composure again. “I feel like it’s my fault for you not being able to take a nap. I mean, it was me who told Kuroo to ask you, and it’s like me indirectly waking you up, you know.”

Chie shook her head. “No! It’s not your fault! Only beanpole Kuroo is at fault here!” She sighed heavily, contemplating how much she disliked her classmate for waking her up and for being an insufferable rooster with his advances towards her best friend.

“Yeah, don’t blame yourself, Yuzu. Kuroo should’ve just asked at a different time. You can only control your actions and not others.” Kai said nicely with a smile, reassuring Yuzuki that she wasn’t at fault anywhere. “Anyway, I’ve meant to ask,” he lied. Kai just really wanted to change the topic from Kuroo to something else. “Why are you two eating at the cafeteria today?”

The cafeteria's entrance came into view, and it was a very busy sight to behold. The voices of all the hungry students echoed throughout the dining hall, for the area was too large that the sound waves just kept bouncing back. The two girls haven’t been near the cafeteria in a long time, so the voices were almost deafening as soon as they arrived. Chie thought that making their way through the dining hall just to look for a table was like diving into a snake pit. However, Yuzuki thought it was like one of the team fights in her games where you don’t really know where you are, but you can hear a dozen sound effects one second after the other. Either way, both girls were overwhelmed. 

“I now remember very clearly why we decided to bring lunch every day and eat in the courtyard,” Yuzuki commented. 

“I know, right?” Chie responded with a forced smile. “This is so chaotic, and I’m chaotic with you.”

Kai looked back at Yuzuki and Chie, whose faces showed a very uncomfortable expression. “Are you sure you want to eat at the cafeteria today?” he whispered in Yuzuki’s ear.

“Oh yeah, definitely. We need the microwave for our lunch today, so we absolutely have to be here.” Yuzuki whispered back.

“Alright, follow me! There’s this great spot where you guys can eat.”

While Yuzuki and Kai were whispering to one another, Chie couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach at how cute the two were. Chie knows that Yuzuki doesn’t like anyone now, but she is almost sure that Kai is attracted to her best friend. She could be wrong, delusional, and irrationally hopeful, but she’s still going to give them a seal of her approval. Yuzuki grabbed Chie’s wrist, pulling her forward and pulling her away from her fluff thoughts. Kai had led them to a table by the back of the cafeteria. The surrounding tables of the one they stopped at were already full, but this one was empty as if it was already reserved for them. “You guys can eat here,” Kai said. “This is actually where we eat our lunch since our senpais basically claimed this table for the volleyball team. None of them eat here anymore, though, so the table is just for us second and some first years. You’re more than welcome to use it today if you don’t mind sharing it with a bunch of volleyball guys.” He eyed Chie, knowing how much she disliked Kuroo and then studying Yuzuki’s expressions, which didn’t really say anything except for _‘I just want to eat.’_

“I don’t really mind as long as you are all fine with us being here,” Yuzuki said slowly, thinking of how to control her emotions once she sees Kuroo. “How about you, Chie?”

Chie sat down, indicating that she’s willing to share the same space as Kuroo and Yaku and maybe the other volleyball club members. How bad could it be? Chie wondered a little bit angrily. “Here is fine. It’s better than having cold spaghetti.”

“Alright, well, make yourselves comfortable here while I buy my lunch. If Kuroo or Yaku or any first years wonder or even complain why you two are here, tell them this…” Kai then leaned over to Chie and whispered in her ear, instructing her carefully on what to say to whoever dares to send them away for sitting at their table. Chie gave Kai a thumbs up, telling him that he can count on her.

Yuzuki and Kai walked together but parted ways when he had to go to the counter to buy while she had to go to the cafeteria’s side to use the microwave for their packed lunch. The dining hall at Nekoma High is spacious and convenient. There are also two microwaves and two beverage vending machines on each side of the dining hall. Students often commented on how the cafeteria is cut above the rest of other local high schools for the delicious and abundant food options and the extra perks, like the microwave and the ample choices in the vending machine. Yuzuki wasn’t the only one who had to use the microwave for lunch today, but there wasn’t much competition over the appliance either, so she didn’t have to wait long. She placed the tote bag on the counter where the microwave was and hurriedly ran over to the cafeteria’s entryway where the trays were stacked. After she grabbed a tray, Yuzuki went back to the counter and carefully took out the three containers from inside the bag. “Two minutes should be fine,” she muttered as she placed the first container in the machine to start heating it.

Back to the place where the group will take their lunch for today, Chie had just been watching videos on her phone as soon as Yuzuki and Kai left. Switching between food and animal videos, Chie enjoyed her alone time until a familiar voice made her look up from her phone. “Oh, Fukuhara. You’re here.” It sounded more of a question rather than an observation, Chie thought. “This is uhh…”

The girl clicked her tongue, disappointed at how she was disrupted again by the same person. Chie thought that she couldn't win today. Everyone seems to be getting in the way of her rhythm. “Oh hi,” she greeted blandly.

“What are you-- um, are you lost cause… uh,” Yaku stammered, trying to think of a way to talk to Chie about her being in their eating space without offending her. “Hi.” he just said, giving up.

A tall figure behind Yaku emerged, and Chie instantly rolled her eyes in annoyance. Kuroo immediately felt a dark urge to snap at Chie for rolling her eyes at him, but he chanted ‘patience’ once again in his head. “Patience. Patience. Patience.” he told himself, and his inner voice seemed like it was saying the words with clenched teeth, for it was muffled and full of bitterness. “It’s unusual seeing you in this part of the school, Fukuhara.” Kuroo tried his best to sound civil towards Chie. “What brings you here?”

Returning her attention to her phone, Chie replied coolly. “Kai-kun told me to say this to whoever wonders or complains about my being here: _The table is big enough for two more extra people, so why not share it. This is a request from Nobuyuki Kai._ ” Chie put down her phone, eyeing the two confused boys standing in front of her. “If I were to rephrase what Kai-kun said into my own words, it would be: _Just let us sit here; we just want to eat. Just for today_. And,” she focused on Kuroo, her mouth curving into a smile. “If it makes any difference,” she sighed, not really wanting to play the cards this way. “Yuzuki will be joining in.”

Kuroo perked up, which Yaku and Chie both noticed. Chie didn’t really enjoy his reaction, but Yaku absolutely did. He saw the black-haired boy’s cheeks suddenly turn scarlet with a smile forcing itself to come out behind pursed lips. “Where is she?” Kuroo asked thickly, which made Yaku look up at him more confused than ever. 

“Microwave.”

Kuroo turned on his heels as if possessed, meanwhile Yaku sat down at the chair in front of Chie. “That was really odd,” he commented, confusion very evident in his voice. He scratched this head before speaking with Chie, who was back to watching videos on her phone. “Hey Fukuhara, correct me if I’m wrong but, did you think Kuroo suddenly acted weird when you said the name of your friend?” Yaku didn’t want to say Yuzuki’s name, but he knew who she was because she was the conversation topic yesterday between him, Kai and Kuroo. “He kind of glowed.”

Putting her phone down on the table, Chie shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, if you noticed it, then maybe it is what you think it is.”

“You sound unhappy about it; why is that?”

“Because I’m rooting for someone else. I’m rooting for someone better.” Chie replied simply, thinking of Kai, who, as if summoned by her thoughts, appeared from within the crowd of students, currently making his way towards her and Yaku.

[Get You The Moon - Kina feat. Snow](https://open.spotify.com/track/54cX3o4KeFsEbWuo5dT5zF?si=KKXiGMz5TjyPxyk7tBmNFA)

### 

“Hey,” Kuroo said quietly, not wanting to startle Yuzuki. He had his hand cover his mouth, for he was feeling shy.

Yuzuki turned her head to the direction of the greeting only to see Kuroo, with eyes downcast, his body language showing how tense he was just by being near her. “Oh,” was all she could manage to say.

“I didn’t know you eat in the cafeteria. More like, I rarely see you around here.”

“I usually eat somewhere else, but remember when I told you this morning about how I brought lunches for Chie and Nobu? Yeah, I’m heating them right now. You see, I added a lot of grated cheese on top this morning and microwaving it would melt it into this gooey goodness.” Yuzuki mentally cursed herself for saying ‘gooey goodness,’ but what can she do? She’s always fired up when talking about food. 

Kuroo noticed that Yuzuki instantly shone when she talked about food. “Cute,” he thought with a slight smile on her face. In front of him, the black-haired girl just finished taking out the last container from the microwave and put it on the tray right beside her. He remembered how he offered to take Yuzuki’s tote bag from her earlier in the morning for him to carry, which she coolly rejected. But seeing as how all three containers on the tray were made of glass, Kuroo couldn’t help but marvel at Yuzuki’s strength. “Please,” he started to say, really wanting to bond with Yuzuki, even if it means carrying her food around. “Let me help you carry this.”

“Why?” Her tone was sharp even though she didn’t mean to be hostile. Yuzuki just didn’t see the point of why she had to be assisted when she’s perfectly able to do such a menial task such as carrying a tray of food.

“Because I want to.” The boy replied assertively. “I’m a gentleman, you know.”

She chuckled but immediately tried the smile from her face by placing her hands over her lips. Yuzuki glanced up at him, her eyes full of mischief. “What if I don’t want you to?”

Kuroo started walking towards her, closing the distance they maintained ever since he arrived near her. He took the tray in his hands and immediately started walking away from Yuzuki. His stride was confident, posture was upright, and his smile… attractively childish. “If you could grab the tote bag for me, that would be amazing,” Kuroo said playfully. “Hurry up! Spaghetti isn’t good when it’s cold. You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

Yuzuki blinked at him but did what she was told, walking behind him as she finished collecting her bag. “What a dork,” she thought, staring at the nape of his neck and then up at his messy, black hair, admiring how good-looking he was even from behind.

Tetsurou Kuroo only had three things on his mind as they walked to their lunch spot for today. **_One:_** Yuzuki will be eating lunch with him and his friends. This will be a perfect time to interact with her, and if it goes well, maybe he can also ask for her number instead of relying on sass brat Chie. **_Two:_** The food that Yuzuki prepared looked and smelled so good that his stomach started to grumble. **_Three:_** Kai. Kuroo would give anything just to be Kai for the whole duration of the lunch break, but since he’s a realist, he just accepted that he had to work his way up on Yuzuki’s friendship list.

Kai, Chie, and Yaku were already settled in their seats, talking with each other when she and Kuroo arrived. There were five empty seats left around the table, so the late pair didn’t think twice where to sit, especially Yuzuki, since she knows that the open seat beside Chie was reserved for her. “Hello!” Yuzuki greeted with a smile. “Thank you for letting us share the lunch table with you all today.” She bowed, only to be interrupted by Yaku, saying that it’s no big deal and that she and Kuroo should sit down. “Ah, yes, thank you.” Yuzuki then extended her hands towards Kuroo, wanting to take the tray from him, which Kuroo complied apprehensively. 

Kai and Yaku marvelled at how the food looked delicious once Yuzuki placed the tray on the table. The two boys were singing oohs, ahhs, and wows, which made the cook extremely shy, for she was not used to receiving compliments. Kuroo, on the other hand, rolled his eyes secretly and with a pout on his face, as he reminded himself that ‘It’s okay’ for he saw what it looked like first. Yuzuki sat down with Yaku in front of her because Kai was already sitting across from Chie. Kuroo, not wanting to be too forward, decided to sit beside Yaku, leaving the seat beside Yuzuki empty. He thought it would be fine this way since he can get a good view of her if he’s across from her. When Kuroo sat down, he caught Chie glare at him, as if warning him to behave and be respectful.

“Yuzu, that looks amazing,” Kai exclaimed. “It makes sense to me now why you had to use the microwave. But, if I may ask, why do you have three containers? Surely you’re not going to eat the extra one?”

“Actually,” Yuzuki started, handing one container to Kai with both hands. “I packed a portion just for you. I wanted to surprise you. I also didn’t know if you would be full if you only eat this as it’s a small portion, so it’s totally fine if you have something else to eat today.” She suddenly felt flustered, blushing as she said her words, which intrigued Yaku, delighted Chie, annoyed Kuroo, and overjoyed Kai. “I don’t know how well you handle spicy food, but I really hope you’ll like it.”

Kai took the container from Yuzuki with a slight bow of his head and a beaming smile. He could feel his heart beating fast in his chest, and while he didn’t know if he was blushing or not, he was aware of how his body felt warm. “Thank you, Yuzu. I really appreciate it. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

“And this is your portion, Chie. I made sure to add a lot of cheese on top of yours.” Chie’s face lit up when she set her eyes on her lunch. “Thank you, Yuzuki!” Taking out her phone from her skirt pocket, Chie started to take multiple pictures, taking her time to choose the perfect filter to make the photos look more aesthetically pleasing. She then hugged the sweet, black-haired girl beside her, feeling immensely thankful at how she’s well-taken care of by her best friend. “You’re the best, Yuzuki-chan!” It gave Chie a feeling of superiority when she glanced at Kuroo slyly as she called Yuzuki endearingly, for Kuroo squinted his eyes at her in slight annoyance. Chie then decided to talk to Kuroo, the beanpole. “Kuroo-kun, aren’t you going to eat lunch? Oh,” she then noticed Yaku not having food in front of him either. “And you too, Yaku-kun.”

“Oh!” Kuroo and Yaku exclaimed, excusing themselves from the group to buy their lunches before it runs out. The two didn’t take too long for most of the students who were in the cafeteria already bought their food, so the cashier’s line-up was practically non-existent. Kuroo was lucky enough to get the katsu curry like Kai, but Yaku opted for a gyudon, with an extra serving of vegetables on the side. When they went back to their table, the three were already eating while chatting comfortably with each other. Yaku thought it was a good time to snoop on his tall friend. “So, about the two girls there…”

“What and why do you want to know, Yakkun?” Kuroo asked the curious, brown-haired friend of his.

“Eh, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Yaku replied, thinking that this conversation will go nowhere since Kuroo asked a question as a form of reply.

“Sakamori,” he replied with a subtle hint of pride in his voice. “I’m attracted to her. I can’t explain it, but I am.”

“I see,” was all Yaku could reply since he honestly didn’t know what else to say. After Kuroo’s honest answer, Yaku’s head was suddenly filled with the memory of his earlier conversation with Yuzuki’s best friend. It was back when Kai was buying food while Kuroo ran off to see Yuzuki. Yaku was left alone with Chie, and she expressed how much she disliked Kuroo for her friend. When Chie mentioned that she was rooting for someone else, Yaku immediately thought of Kai. He wasn’t sure if Kai had romantic feelings for Yuzuki, but if he did, and Kuroo liked her too, then things might get really messy. As much as he wants his friends to be happy, he doesn’t want them to fight over something trivial. Something trivial such as liking the same girl.

### 

[Music of Happiness - Joey Pecorario](https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZembGG7zKzIeSOuTCWPQW?si=ZQxC1NxeQcOWJTs7g5HPOA)

The group ate their lunches with gusto, mixed with comfortable conversations about their classes and clubs, and a couple of jokes thrown here and there. The conversation started flowing freely like the _Shakujii_ River at the mention of Kenma, who is currently sick. Cautiously asking who Kenma was, Chie and Yuzuki found out from Kuroo that he’s his childhood and best friend and with Yaku adding in that Kenma is the ‘gamer of the group.’ Yuzuki then exploded with delight, asking more about Kenma and his hobbies with a voice evident of pure curiosity and excitement, for she thought that Kai, Kuroo, and Yaku only have volleyball in their male brains. It was then that they, excluding Chie and Kai, got to know what a gamer Yuzuki is--an avid gamer, to be very specific. She began regaling stories about her gaming life with information about her competitive accomplishments in _League of Legends_ and how she looks forward to new game releases, may it be from a big company or an indie one. Yuzuki also cheerfully talked about her favourite weapons in a first-person shooter game, which astounded Kuroo and Yaku because they’ve never heard such a girl proudly say how much she was into fighting and shooting down enemies.

The bedhead bearer, Kuroo, then cheekily said that he also enjoys gaming after hearing Yuzuki impulsively say that she would love to be Kenma’s gaming buddy. Yaku rolled his eyes and retorted by saying that Kuroo was lying, for he stated, with a raised eyebrow and a naughty voice, that the only things in Kuroo’s head were volleyball, science, fish, and how to get rid of his bed head. This led to an outburst of laughter, with Chie’s being the loudest. Kuroo, despite being humiliated by Yaku, turned to Chie instead, baring his teeth while looking at her with eyes full of intimidation. Chie stuck out her tongue at Kuroo before shifting her gaze at Yuzuki for a split second, reminding Kuroo to be on his best behaviour. With a heavy sigh, Kuroo calmed himself then started to talk to Chie, asking questions about her. Chie was cooperative this time, much to his and Yaku’s surprise. She shared her hobbies, such as reading comics and webtoons, sleeping, and eating, which Yuzuki commented on how she felt the same on a spiritual level. The pink-haired girl also told the group about her penchant for cute looking food and charms. Yaku and Kuroo both thought that Chie’s liking for anything cute and nurturing was totally the opposite of her personality: snarky, haughty, and sassy.

The boys soon after took turns in sharing information and fun facts about themselves. Yuzuki and Chie listened intently, which Kuroo, Yaku, and Kai were immensely thankful for. As the lunchtime drew to a close, Yaku thanked the girls for being such a good company, even suggesting that they should join them again since they were both cool and funny to be around. However, Yuzuki and Chie politely declined the offer with a bow and apologetic smiles. They reasoned that as much as they enjoyed today, they will always prefer the outdoors over anything because it’s less overwhelming and more relaxing for them. This dismayed the boys, but Yaku decided to lighten the mood by saying that Yuzuki and Chie are always welcome to join since bonds between them have been formed. There were hearty smiles on everyone’s faces, especially from the two girls, because even with their quirky and fun personalities, they have always struggled with belonging and fitting in. So, hearing Yaku, and even just the silent approval of Kai and Kuroo, about spending time with them really sparked joy within Yuzuki and Chie as if fireworks had been lit up within their hearts. 

The group walked closely together as they made their way back to their respective classrooms. Yaku and Chie, who were both short, walked in front, casually and comfortably talking about cats. The people behind them were quiet, though, with Yuzuki walking in between Kai and Kuroo. Kai didn’t bother starting a conversation, for he was content listening to the short pair passionately discuss how every breed of cat is fantastic, wonderful, and cute. Also, Kai knows that Yuzuki has downtime after eating lunch, so he just focused on someone else. Kuroo, however, is entirely and expectedly unaware of this, so the tall male tried to strike up a conversation with the girl beside him, asking if she liked any animals, only to be ignored. He tried again, though, but instead of asking a question, he mentioned that he preferred dogs more. While this piqued Yuzuki’s interest since she absolutely loves dogs (and bears), she was in a state of food coma, therefore unable to respond coherently. Just as he thought that they’d already made a connection from earlier, Kuroo felt disappointed and disheartened at Yuzuki’s unresponsiveness. Then it all disappeared when she poked his muscular back with her finger, catching his attention and spreading wildfire throughout his body. A smile tugged at her lips, indicating that the poke wasn’t an accident as he didn’t hope it would be.

“I like dogs too,” she said, her voice barely audible, but enough for Kuroo to hear and appreciate. “I actually have one.”

Kuroo smiled as he finally got an answer from her, but how he wished time was longer. How he fervently hoped that he could talk to her more. But, alas, it was time for the group to part ways, for they have arrived at their destination. Chie thanked Yuzuki for lunch with a tight hug, which Yuzuki returned earnestly. Yaku also thanked Yuzuki, and while it was not about him receiving anything from her, it was mostly him appreciating her spending time with them. Yuzuki thought Yaku was friendly and pleasant to be with, so she thanked him as well. Chie started walking first, followed by Yaku, and then Kuroo. Kai had already gone inside the classroom after saying hasty goodbyes with his friends, leaving only Yuzuki outside. She just stood by the classroom’s entryway, half hoping that Kuroo would look back at her so she could wave at him since she never really verbally thanked him. It was only until Chie and Yaku disappeared from the view when Kuroo glanced in her direction. He smiled instead of the usual smirk, which she thought suited him so much more for it was manly and childish at the same time. Of course, she smiled back, a winsome smile, to say the least. How could she not smile back after seeing him do so anyway?

“See you later,” Yuzuki mouthed to him from across the hallway. They were several feet apart, but she knew Kuroo understood what her lips said, for he smiled back at her again, this time beamingly.

“See you,” he mouthed back and then entered his classroom after seeing the girl he’s strongly attracted to set foot into hers.

### 

Club activities for the volleyball club ended at around 6:30 in the evening, which was not really a big deal for the players since their love for the sport makes them want to keep going. Kuroo, especially, thought that he still hasn’t practiced enough, but then again, he knew he had to start heading home and give Kenma information about what he missed in his class for today. The three second-year members of the club, Kuroo, Yaku, and Kai, walked out of the school together, talking about the plays they made during practice. They all provided each other with constructive criticism, encouragement, and tips on making their moves more seamless during the next club day. Yaku had to end his side of the conference, though, for he had to go in the opposite direction from Kuroo and Kai, much to his dismay because he really wanted to talk more about volleyball.

“We can always talk about it tomorrow, Yakkun.” Kuroo said, and then teasingly, “Don’t forget to eat a proper meal when you get home. Don’t skip your vegetables!”

Yaku scoffed before enunciating a biting retort towards his annoying friend. Kai laughed but intervened shortly after, saying that it’s too late in the evening to be hostile to one another. Yaku and Kuroo stopped bickering with each other, and only then did Yaku turn and make his way towards home. 

Kai and Kuroo walked in silence, and it wasn’t that kind of comfortable silence that they were used to having between them when they walked home together after practice. Kuroo didn’t know why the mood was the way it was, but he still felt it nonetheless. Kai felt the awkwardness between them, too, not really feeling uncomfortable about it, though. It started being awkward for Kai to be with Kuroo when he saw him consistently glancing at Yuzuki without her knowledge during lunchtime. Still, the girls have been really great at dispelling any negativity with their fun stories and exciting personalities, so the tension in his chest and in the air was utterly overshadowed. Kuroo wanted to break the quietness between them, although not sure how, so he just kept walking.

“I heard from Fukuhara that you were asking her for Sakamori’s number,” Kai said, looking straight forward at the scenery in front of him and Kuroo--street lamps lit under the night sky which was absent of stars.

Kuroo felt a pang in his chest, and it was not a good pang. He felt attacked. “Why are you suddenly calling her Sakamori? Don’t you call her with that cute nickname? Yuzu, was it?” he said bitterly.

“Either way, you know who I am talking about,” Kai replied coolly.

“I just want to be her friend.”

“Why?” Kai stopped walking, scrutinizing his friend’s expressions, which were showing signs of intimidation. “You didn’t even know who she was until yesterday. You don’t care for girls at all. I know that about you, Kuroo. But what I don’t know right now is why you’re showing interest in Sakamori.”

“Why are you interrogating me this late, Kai?” Kuroo started walking again, trying to hide the anger blazing through his eyes. “I can do whatever I want.”

Kai called Kuroo’s name ominously, which surprised both of them but more so infuriating Kuroo. “I refuse to believe that you’ve always wanted to get to know her. You did this out of jealousy, didn’t you? You came to her after knowing the fact that I’m close with her; otherwise, she would have stayed invisible to you.”

He was not wrong, Kuroo admitted angrily. Indeed, he had begun taking more interest in Yuzuki **_after_** seeing her yesterday being so familiar with Kai. And the note she left in the book escalated that interest even further. “Why are you so cross about this, Kai? Tell me because I really want to know. But yeah, I admit. Fine, you caught me. I’ve taken a liking to her after seeing and knowing how close you were. But don’t you dare assume that I didn’t know who she was until yesterday.”

“Don’t dare use friendship as a reason to get close to Sakamori. I swear to god, if you end up hurting her, I will never forgive you.” Kai couldn’t filter his words now, but still, his tone of voice remained level and calm, despite the whirlwind of emotions causing havoc inside of him. 

“Whoa,” Kuroo put his hands up. “Overprotective? Why are you talking as if you’re her parent or boyfriend? You’re just Kai. It’s not like you like her anyway.”

Then there was silence, which gave time for both guys to calm down. Kuroo had lost his cool there, lamenting how Kai is the last person he wanted to anger. Kai had never raised his voice to anyone, no matter how irritated he got. But this time, he had shown intensity for the first time. “I did,” Kai said quietly, breaking the ice. “I did like her, and actually, I still kind of do.” Kuroo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Kai began telling him how he developed a crush on Yuzuki but decided not to act on his feelings out of respect for her grieving heart before. He continued by saying that as much as he pushed his feelings for her under the rug, some still lingered, making him overprotective of Yuzuki. He doesn’t want her to experience the same wretched feeling she felt before, and pursuing her romantically will just make their friendship fragile. “I don’t want you to hurt her. She’s been hurt too much. Please.”

Kuroo’s eyes were downcast, thinking of everything Kai had just told him. His anger had subsided, making him perceptive again, but he still wanted to pursue Yuzuki and develop a relationship with her. “I won’t hurt her. I’ll try not to.”

“How can you be so sure about that?” 

“I’m not,” he said truthfully. “But I promise you this, and I really want you to trust me when I say that I have no intention of befriending Sakamori just to play with her feelings. Now that you’ve told me how she was hurt before, I will be more mindful of my actions and act appropriately towards her.” Kuroo said every single word with sincerity and resolve. He was looking at Kai straight in the eyes, letting him know how genuine he was. “And if the unimaginable happens and I do end up hurting her, you can spike a volleyball to my face how many times you like.”

Kai started to smile at the thought of Kuroo’s face being hit by around 100 spikes. “I accept that. You have yourself a deal, Kuroo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm glad you made it this far! Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope you will stay tuned for more~ <3  
> I also want to apologize for taking too long to write this chapter for I have been struggling with time and ideas, but I am glad that I'm finally done with it!
> 
> I appreciate you for being patient and giving Forelsket a chance! ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)ヽ(￣ω￣ )
> 
> If anyone wants to add me on social media, here you go: [ click me! ](https://twitter.com/wingedLunari)
> 
> Also, this is Kai's drawing for Yuzuki: [ click me! ](https://imgur.com/a/NvuM5ev) (I cannot write kanji well to save my life xD)


	4. feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sparks, beginnings, feelings. attraction. jealousy. bewilderment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Chapters are and will be long; you have been warned!  
> > Links of songs/playlists are posted at some story/chapter breaks as an OST for the story. Feel free to listen for ~maximum experience~ You have to loop some of them to fit the whole passage, again for ~maximum experience~ (also you have to open in a new tab; otherwise, it will directly take you to Spotify/Youtube)  
> > Another piece of information about the 'OST' some songs are linked either before or after the passage. If the song is linked before, it means you have to listen to it while reading. If the song is linked after the story passage, it means it's like an ending song.  
> > UVERworld is a real band. They have been making music since the year 2000! I wanted to pick a band that was active years ago to make it fit Haikyuu's timeline.
> 
> > Enjoy, and thank you for reading! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ (any comments, violent reactions, and declarations of love would be much appreciated!)

[A Spark, A Beginning - Corre](https://open.spotify.com/track/53Q8YAh03JoqrGQ5U9bZNx?si=ekoizW9aTHGMAorl-xFC7g)

A light popping sound was heard from Yuzuki Sakamori’s small but quaint kitchen. The room instantly smelled like a bakery—clean, slightly sweet, and yeasty. The aroma from the two slices of milk bread that just popped out of the toaster somehow smelled warm, like that particular smell of a thick blanket fresh out of the dryer to be snuggled on a cold winter day. Yuzuki thought how this day was going to be fantastic for not only did she wake up earlier than usual and have time to eat breakfast, but she also felt refreshed after a good night’s sleep despite staying up late to play video games. Yuzuki sat down on her favourite dining chair, took a sip of the freshly made _yuzu_ tea, and let out a satisfying “Ah.” The hot, sweet, citrusy, yellow liquid instantly warmed her body, giving her a feeling of comfort, almost as if someone gave her a tight hug. Yuzuki usually slips away from reality during quiet breakfast moments and then transports herself into deep thought, consisting of reminiscing events from either school, home, or online.

Yuzuki’s mind began replaying yesterday’s events, with crisp, detailed scenes as if she watched a high-definition movie inside a theatre. The vivid memory of lunchtime played in her mind as she took a bite of her buttered toast, taking a sip of tea shortly afterwards. Lunch, she admitted happily, was such a fantastic experience for her, although she spent it with three unlikely people. The conversations she had with Kai, Chie, Yaku, and Kuroo were still fresh in her memory, and as she recalled all the topics they talked about yesterday, Yuzuki couldn’t help but smile with glee. Another memory was that of Kuroo constantly glancing in Kai’s direction, mainly when the latter ate the food she had prepared for him. Yuzuki then thought how weird Kuroo was for staring when Chie had the same thing right in front of her. In the end, she dismissed those thoughts by saying that maybe the beanpole was just amazed at his friend’s appetite, for he did eat katsu curry and spaghetti. “He’s such a dork,” she mumbled, taking another sip of the _yuzu_ tea she loves so dearly as the scene in the movie in her mind shifted to the end of the day.

After lunchtime, she had not seen Kuroo, which made her feel somewhat disappointed, much to her bewilderment. She found herself scanning around the hallways to check if he was in any way near her person. Since Kuroo’s tall, it wouldn’t take a lot of searching for his head will always be above others. “Why did I want to see him yesterday when we had a day’s worth of interaction already?” Yuzuki asked herself, slumping on the chair. “Is it his desperation rubbing off on me that is making me interested in him now?” Yuzuki pouted, sighing once more, for she realized how mixed her feelings were towards him. She had always thought that Kuroo was displeasing because of how he treated her when they first met, but now she couldn’t help but admit how awkward, goofy, and adorable he was. 

Yuzuki first laid her eyes on Kuroo on the first day of classes when they were both freshmen. She had noticed him because of how tall he was even back then. At the age of fifteen, Kuroo looked like he was already approaching the 6 feet mark, and Yuzuki wondered how the air could be different for him from way up there. He also stood out from everyone else because of how unfazed he looked about starting high school while everyone else was awkward, fidgety, and anxious. In Yuzuki’s eyes, Kuroo was confident--standing tall, serious, and ready for more workload, different environment, and new people. Yuzuki wished she had his confidence, but having Chie being with her in the same school made everything a little better even though they ended up in different classes.

All the students were requested by the school staff to proceed to the gymnasium for the welcome assembly. The homeroom teachers advised the learners that they have to line up by class and height because once inside the gymnasium, they will have to form an AB pattern with the boys forming a line first with the girls right beside them. The first years gathered at the courtyard, which was not that far from the gym, waiting to be let in by the staff. As they waited, Yuzuki saw Kuroo again, who was standing not too far from her. Yuzuki had admired his confidence earlier, but now she just felt intimidated by him because One: He was freakishly tall (and Yuzuki was taller than the average female!); Two: His eyes, she realized from up close, looked like they were constantly glaring; and Three: He had a deadpan expression. Yuzuki was looking at him for a couple of minutes, studying his features while simultaneously formulating questions as to what kind of sorcery he had done to have this huge growth spurt.

Kuroo then turned to her, harshly whispering, “You are very rude for staring at me. Love at first sight?” making Yuzuki flustered, angry, and flabbergasted. She immediately turned away, not wanting to look at him anymore. “What the heck?” Yuzuki cursed as he heard him chuckle beside her. From that moment on, she tried to avoid any eye contact with Kuroo even though she had often seen him around the school, surrounded by girls, which made Yuzuki form an impression of him as a ladies’ man. She disliked it. Yuzuki did not like how flamboyant he seemed, but during all those times, she couldn’t help but fixate on him because he had glowed up since the first day of school. Kuroo had gotten taller and more handsome, too. Sometimes Yuzuki would search for Kuroo to take a brief peek at his features, and from there, she started to realize how he was exactly her type—smart, athletic, tall, and handsome.

The next time she had an encounter with Kuroo was during the first day of classes again, but it was for this school year. He was in Chie’s class, who transferred from Class 2 to 5. Yuzuki accompanied Chie to her new class, orienting her what she should expect in college prep classes because it will be a massive shift for her. She minded her own business, but she couldn’t help but feel awkward as if someone was gawking at her. Yuzuki quickly glanced around the room only to see Kuroo staring at her. “You are very rude for staring at me. Love at first sight?” she mumbled back then, repeating the very same words Kuroo said to her when he caught her. Thankfully, Chie didn’t hear what Yuzuki said under her breath, but at the same time, she was not feeling so jolly for Kuroo’s gaze was still piercing through her like ice. “Is this payback for me staring at you before?” Yuzuki had thought irritatingly, feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. It was then that she realized how Kuroo must have felt the same last year, but this was pretty different from her case because she stared at him blankly while Kuroo was aware of his actions, for he was talking to Yaku while gazing at her. After giving Chie one last reminder about her new classes and a bag of chips and bonbons, Yuzuki subtly looked at Kuroo, and their eyes met each other. Sparks ignited throughout her body. 

Two days ago, they met again, but their meeting left a bad taste in her mouth. Kuroo constantly smirked, which irked the heck out of her. Yuzuki loathes being smirked at because it can make someone look dishonest and sly, which she doesn’t really like in people. To be honest, Yuzuki wanted to slap the smirk away from Kuroo’s handsome face, pull his shirt collar, and scream: _Stop smirking at me, you piece of sh--!!_ But, Kai was there, and Kuroo’s his friend, so she had to act civilly, much to her dismay. Yuzuki never really had a reasonable opinion of him until yesterday when they met at the library, and honestly, she wanted to remain a nobody to him. But how could Yuzuki stay uninvolved when the school librarian forced them to interact? It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, Yuzuki admitted, for when she and Kuroo got to talk a bit, it dispelled any prejudice she had about him. He wasn’t sly nor dishonest; he was actually this shy beanpole! She had seen his cheeks turn red a couple of times yesterday, which looked so cute and goofy-looking on him.

Yuzuki liked how he was so awkward around her, despite emitting a strong air of masculinity. Kuroo’s personality was like a chocolate-covered potato chip. Unlikely but wonderful. To Yuzuki, Kuroo was collected, inquisitive, shy, and even puppy-like. He would always look at her imploringly as if she held the answers to the universe, but in reality, Kuroo just wanted answers about her. He desperately wanted to be Yuzuki’s friend. She admired how assertive he was, but at the same time, he was bashful whenever she said or did something. “How is he the same person who rudely told me off last year?” Yuzuki felt her chest tighten while thinking about Kuroo, and she hated herself for it. She shouldn’t be feeling this way over some boy with whom she formally interacted two days ago. “It’s too early to be having these heart-tightening emotions, Yuzuki,” she reminded herself angrily. “You must not let that beanpole of a rooster mess with your head, dragging you to the beat of his drum!” And then… “But he’s so cute, though…” To be honest, Yuzuki feels really bad for making Kuroo work for something so simple as her number, but at the same time, it was adorable how he was struggling so much.

Chie called Yuzuki last night, with the former narrating every single detail of her interaction with Kuroo. Chie had emphasized how Kuroo was very much annoyed and flustered with her, which made Yuzuki wonder why he wasn’t at all the same when they all had lunchtime together, mostly since Chie had made some snide remarks directed towards the boy. This made Yuzuki contemplate whether or not she should give Kuroo her number. He has only been sincere towards building a friendship with her, even going the extra mile to talk or open up conversations. But before that, she is particularly curious as to why he suddenly had that idea. Their first and second meetings were purely the two of them having a bad rep for each other. So what changed? What changed for him?

“What?” Yuzuki half-screamed and half-exhaled the question. “What changed?”

### 

Yuzuki always listens to music at almost full volume on her way to school and pretty much anywhere. Today she chose to listen to _Shamrock_ by _UVERworld_ , a famous Japanese rock band. _UVERworld_ is one of Yuzuki’s favourite bands because all their songs have colourful, touching lyrics combined with very catchy beats. Yuzuki loves the band so much that she couldn’t help but sing along to their songs even in public. As _Shamrock_ was coming to its end, Yuzuki stopped walking to savour the last two beautiful minutes of it. The song’s bridge was incredibly catchy because the vocalist used a growl-like voice before flawlessly switching to his regular one to sing a very melodic phrase that was one step away from being considered a rap.

_言おうとずっと思ってたもの 言葉ってなんで伝えきれずに  
Iou to zutto omotteta mono kotoba tte nande tsutaekirezu ni…  
Why couldn't I say the words I wanted to say for a long time?_

“Good morning, Yuzu!” Kai greeted with a smile in front of her.

Yuzuki jumped in surprise, then removed her earbuds quite unhappily because the best part of the song was interrupted by her friend. “Good morning, Nobu.” she acknowledged, attempting to hide the slight annoyance in her voice with a sweet smile. Kai apologized for interrupting Yuzuki, saying that he didn’t know she had earbuds on. Yuzuki assured Kai that he shouldn’t fret too much over it, for there are plenty of times when she can listen to the song anyway. Yuzuki started walking again, with Kai matching her pace.

There was a comfortable silence between the two as they walked towards the school. Both of them were just taking in the beautiful summer wind breezing through the area. The sky was clear and blue; the clouds were puffy like marshmallows; the trees were green, lush, and vibrant. The sun was warm but not too much. It was a perfect day—a halcyon day. Yuzuki does not really enjoy summer because of how humid it can be, but she does appreciate beautiful summer mornings.

“You look happy today, Yuzu,” Kai pointed out, for Yuzuki was staring up at the sky with a faint smile on her pretty face. 

“I mean, it **_is_** a beautiful day. I woke up feeling refreshed, went to sleep fulfilled. I got to listen to awesome music. It’s just… nice.”

“Speaking of music,” Kai started. “What were you listening to earlier?”

Yuzuki’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She always brightens up when she’s asked about things she is passionate about. “ _UVERworld_!” she responded excitedly, clapping her hands. Kai scratched his head, lowering it down too, for he was ashamed that he had no idea who Yuzuki was talking about. The girl beside him gasped in gleeful horror at Kai’s uncultured musical tastes. “Oh my god! Nobu, you’re definitely missing out! _UVERworld_ is amazing!” Yuzuki began to describe what kind of band _UVERworld_ is, who the members are, and what kind of songs they write.

Kai intently listened to Yuzuki’s passionate storytelling, somehow starting to feel curious about the band now. “How did you start liking them?”

“Oh,” Yuzuki paused. “A former friend introduced them to me. They said that _UVERworld_ sang many anime songs, especially in shows that I watched before. But I actually started liking them because they sounded really good and looked cool. They weren’t that crazy type of rock band.”

“That’s cool,” Kai acknowledged. “Former friend?” He asked cautiously, curious as to who the former friend was. 

Yuzuki didn’t reply; instead, she just smiled sadly.

There was silence between the two of them again, but not the comfortable kind. Yuzuki looked melancholy, and Kai cursed at himself for making her feel this way. He shouldn’t have asked about her former friend. He shouldn’t have pried. Yuzuki clearly said former friend, so why did he even try to get an answer out of her? “Great of you to ask, Nobuyuki.” he sarcastically remarked. “Yuzu just said this day was beautiful, and now you’ve ruined it.”

On the other hand, Yuzuki was not angry; rather, she was just preoccupied with pushing away the memories she shared with her ex-friend. She wanted this day to continue being a beautiful one, so any painful memories will have to wait until later at home. “Ah, please go away,” she pleaded. “Wait until this evening, please.”

“Hey Yuzu,” Kai called her name out quietly. “Is it safe for me to ask your favourite song from the band?”

“ _Ai ta Kokoro_ ,” Yuzuki responded with a smile, thankful that Kai decided to break the ice for them. “Do you want to listen to the song with me?” Without waiting for a reply, Yuzuki took out the earbuds from her skirt pocket and gave the right side piece of it to Kai.

When the song started playing, Kai was surprised at how chill it started, but the drums began to play, exciting him. The intro shifted from mellow to upbeat, rock-ish even, and then going back to its chill vibe. Kai liked how the rhythm kept turning but what he liked more was his closeness to the black-haired girl beside him who was already bobbing her head to the music. Kai had never walked this close to Yuzuki before, so his heart started to hammer in his chest. Their shoulders were touching, arms grazing, and if Yuzuki's left hand wasn’t tightly gripping the straps of her backpack, Kai was sure his hand would be meeting hers. Yuzuki started to rap along with the vocalist, which impressed Kai because he did not expect Yuzuki to keep up. She was so adorably focused on singing, not looking anywhere except forward. 

Despite the song’s fast and upbeat tempo, the lyrics were actually pretty sad. Some lines that Yuzuki rapped said something about a growing love that doesn’t come to fruition, and instead of giving up on those feelings, they keep and hold on to it. Kai reminisced about his conversation last night with Kuroo and how he admitted to his friend that he still likes Yuzuki, even though he’s not going to do anything about it. He wanted to confess his feelings before, but when she told him that she had broken up with her boyfriend, Kai knew he had to back off because he doesn’t want to hurt Yuzuki in the future if he ever pursued a relationship with her. Kuroo then confessed to Kai last night how he started liking Yuzuki after learning how close she was to the latter. Kai didn’t really like Kuroo’s way about things. He couldn’t understand why Kuroo had to act on his feelings now, especially when Yuzuki finally moved on from a painful relationship. Kai is almost sure that Kuroo’s feelings for Yuzuki will deepen because the same happened to him. Even though Kai decided to remain close with Yuzuki as a friend, he couldn’t stop his growing feelings for her. Once Kuroo gets an opportunity to know Yuzuki, he will surely like her even more, and Kai can confidently bet that his friend will then confess his feelings. “I dread it,” Kai whispered, thinking of Yuzuki, who will inevitably begin liking Kuroo back too.

### 

[Slow Love - Michael Alvarado](https://open.spotify.com/track/0Nq60cX5Z5A9TsGS8hBdQz?si=ApMQP99fTFidKwCltnrbww)

Kuroo was standing outside of the school gate, anticipating Yuzuki’s arrival so he can be the first one to greet her a good morning. He was excited to get to school early again today, and as much as he missed having Kenma around, he wanted his best friend to be 100% healthy by the time he returns to school. Himari had told Kuroo, who she affectionately calls Tetsu-kun and treats as her second son, that she would prefer if Kenma were to stay at home for one more day for good measure. When Kuroo visited Kenma last night and this morning, he had ordered him to lay off the video games to get started on his homework, which Kenma promised to do so. Kuroo knew Kenma spouted flaming lies with that promise of his. But, with Kenma being away again, Kuroo had no choice but to head straight to school, and if he was lucky, he could maybe spend time with Yuzuki once more. This time, he decided, he would actually make an effort in striking up a conversation with her-- going as far as making a mental list of all the topics he wanted to use as a conversation starter if they ever do meet.

The tall black-haired boy waited, and when he saw her figure walk towards him, he was immediately disappointed in what he saw. Yuzuki was walking so closely with Kai, listening to music together using only one pair of earbuds, and apparently, she was singing to him too. Kuroo clicked his tongue in annoyance. He could hear Yuzuki’s singing from where he was standing, and it wasn’t because she was loud, but he just filtered out every other voice that wasn’t hers. Yuzuki’s singing voice, Kuroo acknowledged with absolute earnestness, was very lovely and pleasant to listen to. 

“What do you think of the song?” Kuroo heard Yuzuki ask Kai as they passed by him, completely unaware he was even there standing. 

Kuroo heard Kai reply, but he didn’t really think much of it. He wanted Yuzuki to notice him, so as much as he didn’t want to look like a desperate puppy, he walked briskly to catch up with the pair. “Good morning!” he greeted, cutting off Yuzuki and Kai’s path. “It’s a nice morning today, isn’t it?”

“Good morning,” Yuzuki greeted before turning to Kai to ask for the earpiece back. 

“What were you two listening to?” Kuroo asked.

“Music,” she replied curtly. 

“Yuzu and I were listening to her favourite song. It’s by this band called UVERworld. It’s my first time hearing about them even though Yuzu told me that they’d debuted a few years back.” Kai responded with a smile towards Kuroo, despite having such a heated tête-à-tête last night,

“I don’t know who they are,” Kuroo responded with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Yuzuki didn’t really say anything except for an ‘Ah.’ She didn’t know how to answer Kuroo even though she just told herself this morning not to get swayed by him. But what do you know! As soon as he appeared in front of her, all resolve went out the window. “Curse your damn handsome face!” she complained in her thoughts. 

“I don’t see Fukuhara anywhere,” Kuroo pointed out, sugar-coating the annoyance in his voice as he said Chie’s family name. He didn’t really dislike Chie, but he couldn’t stand her either. She was just this big, freaking hindrance. Chie was also this annoying short brat that he has to put up with to be close with Yuzuki. If it weren’t for Yuzuki, Kuroo would have already sassed right back at her. 

Kai then interjected by saying that he doesn’t see Kenma anywhere either, to which Kuroo replied how Kenma was being held ‘hostage’ at home to recuperate fully. Yuzuki then mumbled how nice it would be to meet Kenma to talk about games with him. Kuroo heard her say this and replied, saying that Kenma is shy, but if it’s Yuzuki, he might open up because she’s bright, friendly, and enjoys the same things as him. Yuzuki just smiled at Kuroo’s comment, not wanting to reply or even address him because up until now, she was trying to keep her emotions at bay. “Let’s start heading inside,” she said to **_Kai_** before skipping towards the school entrance.

Kai and Kuroo followed her footsteps shortly after staring each other down. There was an awkward feeling between Kai and Kuroo as they walked together behind Yuzuki, although their conversation last night ended on a somewhat positive note. Last night, Kai vaguely told Kuroo how his feelings for Yuzuki developed and why he decided not to act on them. “She has been hurt too much,” Kai had said without adding too much detail. He was crestfallen when he mentioned Yuzuki being hurt, and Kuroo couldn’t help but wonder what might have possibly happened last year to the girl he likes. Yuzuki is only sixteen, but what kind of relationship could she have had experienced to feel the way she did, making Kai thoroughly overprotective of her. Kuroo couldn’t understand.

What could possibly have hurt her? Who broke her heart? The thought of someone breaking Yuzuki’s heart enraged Kuroo. He honestly thought of hunting down whoever Yuzuki dated so he could grab him by the collar, shake them until they get dizzy, and then maybe grab a volleyball to serve the ball right onto his face. Kuroo took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. He didn’t know why he got so worked up over Yuzuki being in a relationship before, considering that he hasn’t known her that long anyway. It could have been Yuzuki’s fault that the relationship ended. It could also be because of other reasons. But just thinking of Yuzuki being heartbroken broke his heart too. “I won’t break your heart,” Kuroo said, remembering the promise he made to Kai last night about doing everything he can to not hurt Yuzuki. He values honesty and his friendship with Kai, and although his relationship with Yuzuki hasn’t started yet, he strangely cherishes her as well. 

“I am going to the library, so you two can go ahead,” Yuzuki said now, peeking from behind the shoe lockers. Kai replied with an ‘okay,’ smiling and waving at her. Yuzuki didn’t really have any business inside the library, but since there was still time before classes started, she figured that chilling inside the library would be a good idea. Kawamoto would definitely poke fun at her, maybe tease her about Kuroo too, but if she was quiet enough, she could probably arrive unnoticed. Once Yuzuki arrived at the stairs’ quarter landing, she stopped on her tracks and leaned her back on the wall to face the bottom of the stairwell. Then he appeared. Kuroo gazed at her longingly from where he was standing, a boyish smile on his face. “I had a feeling you were going to follow me.”

Kuroo chuckled, walking up the steps hastily and then standing right in front of Yuzuki when he reached the landing. He did not expect Yuzuki to be standing right here, anticipating his arrival. His heart started pounding in his chest, and while he kept his breathing steady, he couldn’t feel overwhelmed at the sight of her. There’s a connection—a spark. Chemistry. Being the science nerd he was, Kuroo was in no position to turn down anything related to chemistry. “Hey,” he greeted breathlessly.

“Where’s Nobu?” Yuzuki broke their eye contact, turning away from Kuroo. She was now facing the wall, and for Yuzuki, this was better because she can think of what to say without looking at his handsome face.

“Can we not talk about him right now?” Kuroo sighed. Kai had a judgmental look on his face when Kuroo said he had to ‘do something’ in the library. He knew his friend wanted to stop him and not act too forward, but Kai knew he couldn’t really stop Kuroo from doing what he wanted to do. “Okay fine, see you at lunch then,” Kai had said to him before walking away without turning back. Kuroo heard a tinge of bitterness in his friend’s voice, but instead of brooding over it, Kuroo answered with a “Yeah, see you later.” He took a step forward, closing the distance between himself and Yuzuki. Students were starting to use the stairwell, and he really didn’t want anyone to see him with Yuzuki, so he tried using his tall frame to shield hers. Kuroo could smell how fragrant her hair was. The scent was a mixture of honey, vanilla, and roses, but it wasn’t overpowering; rather, it was quite sweet and pleasurable. “Do I still have to ask Fukuhara for your number? I doubt she will give it to me, and I really would like to be in contact with you.”

“Why are you so hell-bent on pursuing a friendship with me?” Yuzuki asked simply, then abruptly turned around, her backpack bumping Kuroo’s torso, making him take a step back. “Oh, sorry,” she apologized when he let out a small yelp. 

Kuroo scratched his head. “Do I need a reason why I want to be friends with you?”

“I just think it’s weird--” Yuzuki glanced to the right because a student passed by her and Kuroo, and this made her conscious. “I,” Yuzuki started. “I don't want to be seen with you. I’m not ashamed of you; it’s just that I don’t want to be a target of your fans.”

Kuroo tried to hide a smile, taking a step forward, completely hiding her. He was delighted that Yuzuki didn’t try to push him away; rather, she seemed somehow relaxed now that he was ‘protecting’ her. “Do you expect me to believe that you will just let them target you?”

She laughed. Yuzuki didn’t really care if Kuroo’s fans were to seize her skirts so that they could tell her to stop monopolizing him. She had bigger things to worry about than thirsty females who are starry-eyed over a volleyball player. “I would fight back!” She leaned her back on the wall again, providing space between her and Kuroo, but at the same time, inviting him to take a step closer so he could hide her. It wasn’t uncomfortable for her, being close to Kuroo like this. Yes, she had told herself not to get swayed by him, but what can she do now? She’s strangely attracted to him.

“I didn’t think you would be the feisty type, Sakamori.”

“Oh, if only you knew! I am a lot of stuff, buddy.”

“Well,” Kuroo smiled. “If you gave me your number, then I would know stuff. Just saying.”

“What would we even talk about if you did end up having my number?”

“Anything! As long as I can talk to you, any topic will be fine.” Kuroo said this truthfully. He just really wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know her. He wanted to be closer to her. “We can talk about music, cooking, or games for all I care. Just…” he stopped and blushed. “Let me know more about you.” 

Yuzuki felt her chest tighten. “Why? You haven’t answered my question from earlier too. Why do you want to be friends so badly? I was a complete nobody to you for a year. You were rude to me when we first met. It wasn’t until two days ago that we actually saw each other again at such close proximity, and it wasn’t until yesterday that we started talking. So what changed?”

His eyebrows furrowed. Kuroo didn’t know what she meant by him being rude to when they first met, so he asked. Yuzuki squinted her eyes at him, confused why he asked about his past actions. Shouldn’t he know this? She told Kuroo how he rudely told her off for looking at him during their first year. While Yuzuki was doing so, Kuroo’s face was full of puzzlement as if he was tasked to prove the Theory of Relativity before a panel of judges without having time to review his research. “I can’t believe I actually said that,” he said, anger and sadness in his voice as soon as Yuzuki finished talking. “I’m sorry for acting the way I did and for saying something as rude as that to a stranger. I guess that’s the reason why you’re wary of me?”

Yuzuki sighed. “Part of it. You came off as really dishonest to me because you always had that smirk on your face.” She was whispering now because more and more students were passing by. Some students glanced at them, and a few actually held her gaze before scoffing or rolling their eyes at her out of annoyance. “Can we talk somewhere else or maybe just talk about this later?”

Kuroo placed his left hand on the wall, blocking Yuzuki’s peripheral vision of those who were passing by and glancing at them. He wanted her to focus on only him right now, and she did. Her attention was now solely on Kuroo, and it drove him wild when she leaned her head on his outstretched arm. “I want to talk about this now. Since Fukuhara won’t give me your number and it’s highly unlikely you will do too, I’m just going to keep you hostage here.”

“No, you won’t.” In one swift motion, Yuzuki cupped Kuroo’s face with both her hands, making the boy jump in surprise. Kuroo’s outstretched hand fell to the side, his face beet red from Yuzuki’s touch. He stammered, trying to think of something to say to her. Something confident. Something that can divert her attention from his blushing face. Kuroo said nothing. “Not too tough now, huh?” Yuzuki removed her hands from Kuroo’s face, and the boy stepped away from her, covering his face with his forearm. Kuroo started to say something to her, but she ignored him by rummaging through her backpack. “Hold on.” she requested. She took out two resealable snack bags from inside her backpack, and each contained a bar of chocolate. One was different, though, for it had an _origami_ bear in it. Kuroo looked at Yuzuki, his face back to its normal colour now. “Here,” she said, giving Kuroo both plastic bags. “It’s for you and Yaku-kun. I kind of felt bad for not giving you guys anything yesterday, so consider this as a thank you for letting me and Chie join you for lunch. The one with the _origami_ bear is--”

“Mine?” Kuroo interrupted with a smile.

“Yaku-kun’s,” Yuzuki replied, looking at Kuroo as if he just committed a grave mistake.

“Oh,” He didn’t even try to hide his disappointment. “Why does he have a bear, and I don’t?” Kuroo looked at the contents of the bags, searching for a hidden paper but to no avail. Yuzuki favoured Yaku more, which seemed so perplexing to Kuroo, considering that the two didn’t even talk that much during lunchtime. Sure, Yaku thanked her personally, but how can an act as simple as that be rewarded with a bear?! Kuroo sneered at Yaku’s treat, cursing at it too. 

Yuzuki started walking up the steps hastily, not wanting Kuroo to see her shaking with mirth. “You absolutely cannot switch the bags’ contents, Kuroo-kun,” she instructed, looking down at him from the top of the stairwell. “Do not even think about it!”

She caught him, and he flinched. He looked right back at her, shrugging. “Alright, fine! I’ll be good. I won’t do anything to Yaku’s bag.” Kuroo started walking up the stairs, and when he was on the same tread, only then did Yuzuki continue walking. He saw how her hair swayed from left to right as she kept walking up the stairs. Kuroo couldn’t help but think how he liked every little thing about Yuzuki so far. Her voice, hair, kindness, the softness of her hands, generosity, unpredictability and, of course, her smile. “Thank you for the chocolate, Sakamori. I really appreciate it.”

“Mhm.”

### 

[cliche - mxmtoon](https://open.spotify.com/track/2h3Q3wDxLNfBh0yX8d3jib?si=T36lp7eJTZyChxbx1FHl7w)

Yesterday, Yuzuki and Kuroo walked to their classroom together while maintaining maximum distance from one another, but today was different. They were walking side by side, at least two feet apart, and both felt a sense of comfort in each other’s presence. Few female students whispered to each other, which Yuzuki heard because they didn’t really do an excellent job of being discreet anyway. They wanted Yuzuki to listen to what they were saying about her. One remark was about how mindless Yuzuki was for walking with Kuroo for the second time this week, while another said something about her being too sly. There were plenty of other criticisms, and while Yuzuki thoroughly disliked being the center of attention and vulgar commentary, she just tried to block all the negativity out. In one ear and out the other. Kuroo heard what the girls were saying about Yuzuki, and he felt absolutely livid. He clenched his fist. If he wasn’t so desperate in showing Yuzuki his good side, he would have approached every single gossipping female to tell them a piece of his mind. The gossips were getting louder; they weren’t even trying to hide it anymore, which really pissed Kuroo off. Yuzuki noticed how taut Kuroo’s features were—eyebrows furrowed, eyes squinted, fists clenched, and breathing heavy. Yuzuki whispered to him, hoping to calm him down. “Don’t bother feeling angry. Don’t even try listening to it; it’s not worth it. I appreciate you getting angry for me, though.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “How can you be okay with this?” he responded in a hushed yet panicked voice. “They’re saying bad things about you just because we’re together.”

Yuzuki sighed, clenching her backpack’s straps—one of the many ways she uses to try and calm herself when she’s in a tilting situation. It was funny hearing Kuroo say the phrase ‘we’re together,’ though because the way he said it was like he was treading on thin ice. “Even if you were with another female, they would act the same, honestly. You’re too popular, Kuroo-kun,” she teased.

“I actually dislike being popular.”

“Am I supposed to believe that?”

“You should,” Kuroo cleared his throat, feeling bashful. “I dislike drawing attention to myself unless it’s about volleyball. I like to make smart, flashy plays on the court, but I’m just this average guy off of it. I don’t really want girls fawning over me just because of how I look. I’ve always felt uncomfortable whenever these ‘fans’ surround me. Sure, they try to get to know me, but it’s only because I’m a ‘catch.’ I know that. I bet if I looked different or didn’t play any sports, I would just be this invisible person. I am not going to lie and say that I don’t like hearing compliments, but I know when they are real or not.” He glanced at the girl beside him, surprised that she was listening intently to his ramble, her eyes full of warmth and understanding. “I didn’t mean to rant. But yeah, it’s nice to tell someone about it… other than Kenma.”

Kuroo stopped walking, and so did Yuzuki. They had walked too slowly, but not slow enough for them to be late for homeroom. He just wanted to savour the time he can share with Yuzuki before they go their separate ways. Kuroo knew he couldn’t keep coming to school early just to wait for her because Kenma will come back eventually. If he wanted to spend more time with her, there should be progress, and right now, this is as far as it will go. “Have a great day today, Sakamori. It was really nice spending time with you this morning, even though it was short and chaotic, in a way.”

She sensed disappointment in his voice as if he didn’t want to part with her. “Before you go,” Yuzuki managed to say, her hands and voice shaking. “I want to ask you something.”

“Anything,” he stepped closer, not caring about the tittle-tattle that was getting louder. Yuzuki was right; the idle chatter was not worth listening to because all that matters right now was this enchanting creature before him. “Ask me anything.”

“Why and why me?”

Kuroo knew she wanted him to be truthful with his answer, but he just can’t say that he started liking her because of his jealousy towards her closeness with Kai. “I’m…” he began to speak but stopped himself, not wanting anyone else to listen in to his answer. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. “I’m unexpectedly interested in you.” That was his truth. Kuroo didn’t see this, but Yuzuki’s eyes widened when he said those words so close to her ear, giving her goosebumps all over. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she was breathless. He started to speak again; this time, his voice was hoarse as if he was trying to contain his emotions from spilling over. “Actually, no. I’m uncontrollably attracted to you.”

### 

Kuroo barged into his classroom, startling all his classmates who were busy getting ready for the day. They all looked at him judgingly as if Kuroo just flipped three tables out of rage. Kuroo had always acted calm, confident, and carefree, which surprised his classmates when he behaved utterly tepidly when some of them asked if he was alright. Kuroo just kept walking straight to his seat, coveting privacy and space for him to think. After the class greeted their teacher by standing up and bowing, Kuroo blocked out whatever the homeroom teacher said so he could gaze at the same tree he was staring at yesterday. Kuroo was mentally giving himself a dressing down for being so direct with Yuzuki resulting in her pushing him away. He wanted to be honest. **_She_** wanted him to be honest. But his honesty only made her run away. He thought that his parting with Yuzuki would end on a positive note, for she had her hand on his arm, gripping it for what seemed like a blissful eternity to Kuroo but in reality was only short of two minutes. She was so enchanting to him all morning, making him crave for more interactions.

But then she pushed his body away from hers.

Kuroo saw how troubled she looked—eyes glassy...filled with unshed tears, teeth clenched, breathing unsteady, and face red. She had muttered, “No. No...” and Kuroo stood still, staring at her. Yuzuki closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing, and when she finished, she gave him one last look before hurriedly going inside her classroom. “I shouldn’t have said it. I could have said another reason that didn’t mention my attraction for her,” Kuroo pondered regretfully. “I am such an idiot.” He rubbed his face with both his hands, clicking his tongue as his hands did a final rub downwards towards his neck. “I don’t know how I’m going to approach her after this… more like, how will I be able to face her? I might have just lost my chance to be friends with her because of these stupid feelings.” Kuroo sighed heavily. “I’m such an idiot.”

### 

Just like Kuroo, Yuzuki barged into her classroom a few minutes before their homeroom teacher stepped inside. She didn’t look nor greet anyone, for her feelings were in a total state of chaos that she couldn’t focus on anything else. Kuroo had admitted not too long ago that he was attracted to her and the memory of him whispering the confession made Yuzuki feel weak in the knees. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand—not that there was anything to hide except for a lip bite. Yuzuki’s head was in the clouds during the whole homeroom period. She was kind of listening to the teacher’s notes and reminders, but Kuroo’s words to her were blocking everything else.

_It’s mutual. Our feelings are mutual…_

Kai, whose attention was on Yuzuki before entering the classroom, noticed how the girl beside him was very disoriented. “Are you alright, Yuzu? You look really bewildered.”

“Huh?” Yuzuki asked blankly after Kai whispered her name about three or four times. “Yeah, I’m… I’m alright.” She was trying very hard to think of what to say next. “Just a lot of things on my mind right now, but I am okay. I’m great. Sorry if I worried you, Nobu.”

Kai knew precisely what was in Yuzuki’s thoughts, and he hated himself for knowing. While Kai had no clue what Yuzuki and Kuroo did after the pair left for the library, he did see how close they were just outside of their classroom, for he was waiting for Yuzuki to return. The thought wasn’t respectful, but Kai had severely wanted to eavesdrop on Yuzuki’s conversation with Kuroo, but the pair’s voices were too hushed for him to hear. However, he did see how the couple stood so close to one another, with Kuroo leaning forward, blocking the side of Yuzuki’s face with his head. Kai felt a pang in his heart. But when he saw Yuzuki take hold of Kuroo’s arm, Kai heard something shatter in him. Kai didn’t want to see anything else, so he left the scene, placing his left hand over his aching heart. 

“I see,” he replied now, feeling terribly disheartened and uncomfortable at Yuzuki’s jubilation over his friend and teammate. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Oh, how Kai wished he felt the same.

[Feelings - Lauv ](https://open.spotify.com/track/0s26En1JoJhVj32vizElpA?si=XtbW44sDQ0eZzVrV0BbodQ)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm glad you made it this far! Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope you will stay tuned for more~ <3 I appreciate you for being patient and giving Forelsket a chance! ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)ヽ(￣ω￣ )
> 
> If you are interested in listening to the UVERworld songs I have mentioned in the story, here are the links:  
> 1\. [Shamrock](https://open.spotify.com/track/4iYh1gHnnuHEUEVaN3GI5l?si=dPkSmiJ4QTWoJ5zwvDHROg) ; English translation here: [click me!](https://shinitakashi.blogspot.com/2012/05/uverworld-shamrock-lyrics.html)  
> 2\. [Ai ta Kokoro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1OBVOrXvsA) ; English translation here: [click me!](https://shinitakashi.blogspot.com/2011/10/uverworld-ai-tashin-lyrics.html)


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